This book is about how the history of colonialism has shaped the definition of crime and justice systems not only in former colonies but also in colonialist countries. Biko Agozino argues that criminology in the West was originally tested in the colonies and then brought back to mother countries - in this way, he claims, the colonial experience has been instrumental in shaping modern criminology in colonial powers.

He looks at how radical critiques of mainstream criminology by critical feminist and postmodernist thinkers contribute to an understanding of the relationship between colonial experience and criminology. But he also shows that even critical feminist and postmodernist assessments of conventional criminology do not go far enough as they remain virtually silent on colonial issues.

Biko Agozino considers African and other postcolonial literature and contributions to counter colonial criminology, their originality, relevance and limitations. Finally he advocates a 'committed objectivity' approach to race-class-gender criminology investigations in order to come to terms with imperialistic and neo-colonialist criminology.

About the Author
Biko Agozino is professor of criminology at the University of West Indies. He is the author of Black Women and the Criminal Justice System (Ashgate, 1997), Counter-Colonial Criminology (Pluto, 2003), and editor of Theoretical and Methodological Issues in Migration Research (Ashgate, 2000).

Reviews
'A dazzling body of scholarly work that will fertilise a lasting interest and sustainability of the development of African criminology' -- Thoman S. Mosely, University of Maryland Eastern Shore



Book Information
ISBN 9780745318851
Author Biko Agozino
Format Paperback
Page Count 296
Imprint Pluto Press
Publisher Pluto Press
Weight(grams) 380g