The Sparking Discipline of Criminology: John Braithwaite and the Construction of Critical Social Science and Social Justice

In recent decades, the Australian social scientist John Braithwaite has played a crucial role in the development of international criminology. He is considered one of the most renowned criminologists of our time, and he has put his scientific engagement at the service of humanity and society by aiming at social justice, participatory democracy, sustainable development, and world peace. In this collection of essays well-known academics reflect on Braithwaite’s work by addressing two leading questions: What are the implications of a republican theory of justice for criminology and criminal policy? And what is the role of academic criminology in today’s social, political, and economic environment? The volume concludes with an extensive contribution from John Braithwaite himself in which he not only to the essays in the book but also addresses challenges to and future directions for academic criminology.