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Criminology or Zemiology? Yes, Please! On the Refusal of Choice Between False Alternatives

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Zemiology

Part of the book series: Critical Criminological Perspectives ((CCRP))

Abstract

Buried deep within the zemiological movement and its supportive literature is the implicit assumption that the word zemia, the organising concept around which zemiology is built, simply represents ‘the Greek word for harm’. This interpretation has supported numerous drives to ‘move beyond criminology’ and erect strict borders between the study of crime and harm. However, a deeper, albeit still rather brief, exploration of zemia reveals that it possesses a broader range of meaning than that commonly afforded to it. By beginning to unpick zemia’s semantic genealogy, it appears that the conventional use of the word to support the imposition of false alternatives between criminology and zemiology is untenable. Accordingly, this chapter attempts to foreground a more integrated approach to the study of crime and harm.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Teesside University, Middlesbrough, UK

    Justin Kotzé

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  1. Justin Kotzé
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Correspondence to Justin Kotzé .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom

    Avi Boukli

  2. Teesside University, Middlesbrough, United Kingdom

    Justin Kotzé

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Kotzé, J. (2018). Criminology or Zemiology? Yes, Please! On the Refusal of Choice Between False Alternatives. In: Boukli, A., Kotzé, J. (eds) Zemiology. Critical Criminological Perspectives. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76312-5_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76312-5_5

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-76311-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-76312-5

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