Beyond ‘Criminology vs. Zemiology’: Reconciling Crime with Social Harm

Abstract

Since its emergence at the start of the twenty-first century, zemiology and the field of harm studies more generally, has borne an ambiguous and, at times, seemingly antipathetic relationship with the better-established field of criminology. Whilst the tension between the perspectives is, at times, overstated, attempts to reconcile the perspectives have also proved problematic, such that, at present, it appears that they risk either becoming polarised into mutually antagonistic projects, or harmonised to the point that zemiology is simply co-opted within criminology. Rather than denying these debates through the collapsing of one perspective into the other, or by polarising them into hostile camps, this chapter argues for a reconciling approach: it is only by recognising the nature of these debates and fostering dialogue between the perspectives that we can achieve our shared goals and effect meaningful change.