Criminology, Desistance and the Psychology of the Stranger

Abstract

Research on personality and crime has concentrated on distinguishing the dispositional traits that separate offenders from non-offenders. Since, by definition, such traits are largely constant over time and social context, this emphasis implies that the “criminal personality” is a stable and permanent “thing” to be measured. In fact, considerable longitudinal and ethnographic research on crime over the life course indicates that “criminal careers” are sporadic, short-lived and largely shaped by social and developmental contexts. Therefore, criminologists need to use a richer, more dynamic framework for understanding the personalities of those involved in crime. Narrative psychology offers an ideal theoretical backdrop for understanding socially contingent and developmentally contextual behaviour over time. Self-narratives are shaped by experience, and then reflected in behaviour. An understanding of why individuals commit crimes requires an analysis and understanding of these internal stories.