New Times, New Crimes: Notes on the Depillarization of the Criminal Justice System

A great deal has been written about the changing nature and direction of criminology over the past two decades, including claims that we are moving into a “new penology.” Many of these claims are suggestive rather than authoritative. In contrast to most commentaries on the subject, this article provides longer historical overview and attempts to sketch out how the central structures or “pillars” of the criminal justice system have become weakened and eroded over the last 200 years and how the emergence of body of “new crimes” and their regulation is challenging what might be called the “old criminology.” The emergence of new relations between victims and offenders, criminal justice and social justice, as well as the development of innovative modes of regulation are, it is argued, changing the social and criminological landscape. This raises issues of theory and practice that challenge traditional conceptualisations of crime and punishment

Regulating the Demand for Commercialized Sexual Services

In recent years, attention has increasingly shifted towards the buyers rather than those who provide sexual services. At the same time women involved in prostitution are increasingly coming to be seen as victims in need of support rather than offenders deserving punishment. This article aims to deconstruct the notion of male ‘demand’ for commercialized female sexual services and examines some of the measures that have been adopted in different countries to address and reduce this form of demand

Realist criminology : a framework of analysis

Artículo originalRealismo de izquierdas: un marco de análisis para la criminología. El realismo de izquierdas ha atravesado múltiples cambios a lo largo de los últimos veinte años. Durante este período ha transitado desde el “realismo de izquierdas”, que era inicialmente una respuesta política al consenso liberal-conservador en criminología, a un realismo crítico que pone el foco en asuntos metodológicos y epistemológicos, y tiene un particular interés en vincular la teoría, la metodología y las políticas públicas. Dado este desarrollo y las diversas contribuciones recibidas, se vuelve necesario que la criminología realista adopte un marco de análisis que pueda servir como guía para aquellos que buscan involucrarse en el análisis del realismo crítico. Ese marco enfatiza la primacía de la teoría y la centralidad de las consideraciones de clase, poder, derechos humanos y Estado. También involucra un intento por vincular la estructura y la agencia, de modo tal que se mueva hacia una explicación que pueda proveer una base para las políticas y la intervención. De este modo, el objetivo es crear un paradigma nuevo y coherente en criminología, que sea capaz de superar las limitaciones del positivismo y el idealism

Current investigations into the early Neolithic of the Zagros foothills of Iraqi Kurdistan

This article summarises multiple seasons of fieldwork at the Early Neolithic sites of Bestansur and Shimshara in Iraqi Kurdistan

Evidence of resilience to past climate change in Southwest Asia: early farming communities and the 9.2 and 8.2 ka events

Climate change is often cited as a major factor in social change. The so-called 8.2 ka event was one of the most pronounced and abrupt Holocene cold and arid events. The 9.2 ka event was similar, albeit of a smaller magnitude. Both events affected the Northern Hemisphere climate and caused cooling and aridification in Southwest Asia. Yet, the impacts of the 8.2 and 9.2 ka events on early farming communities in this region are not well understood. Current hypotheses for an effect of the 8.2 ka event vary from large-scale site abandonment and migration (including the Neolithisation of Europe) to continuation of occupation and local adaptation, while impacts of the 9.2 ka have not previously been systematically studied. In this paper, we present a thorough assessment of available, quality-checked radiocarbon (14C) dates for sites from Southwest Asia covering the time interval between 9500 and 7500 cal BP, which we interpret in combination with archaeological evidence. In this way, the synchronicity between changes observed in the archaeological record and the rapid climate events is tested. It is shown that there is no evidence for a simultaneous and widespread collapse, large-scale site abandonment, or migration at the time of the events. However, there are indications for local adaptation. We conclude that early farming communities were resilient to the abrupt, severe climate changes at 9250 and 8200 cal BP

The Archaeology of Iran from the Palaeolithic to the Achaemenid Empire

The Archaeology of Iran from the Palaeolithic to the Archaemenid Empire is the first modern academic study to provide a synthetic, diachronic analysis of the archaeology and early history of all of Iran from the Palaeolithic period to the end of the Achaemenid Empire at 330 BC. Drawing on the authors’ deep experience and engagement in the world of Iranian archaeology, and in particular on Iran-based academic networks and collaborations, this book situates the archaeological evidence from Iran within a framework of issues and debates of relevance today. Such topics include human–environment interactions, climate change and societal fragility, the challenges of urban living, individual and social identity, gender roles and status, the development of technology and craft specialisation and the significance of early bureaucratic practices such as counting, writing and sealing within the context of evolving societal formations. Richly adorned with more than 500 illustrations, many of them in colour, and accompanied by a bibliography with more than 3000 entries, this book will be appreciated as a major research resource for anyone concerned to learn more about the role of ancient Iran in shaping the modern world