Criminologicalverstehen: Inside the immediacy of crime

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Abstract
Many past and present studies in criminology have developed out of engaged and often illegal field research—that is, field research in which the researcher of necessity crosses over into the world of criminality. Contemporary reevaluations of methodology, and specifically the role of the researcher in the research process, provide a framework for exploring anew the implications of such field research. In addition, a variety of contemporary criminological studies highlight the importance of the meanings and emotions that emerge inside criminal events, and thus confirm the need for methodologies that can situate researchers to some degree inside illegality. Drawing on Weber's notion of verstehen, this essay proposes one such situated methodology: criminological verstehen. It concludes by suggesting broader applications of this methodology in present and future criminal and criminal justice research situations.

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