Seeking Balance: Peace, Love and Forgiveness in Studies on Crime, Deviance, and Control
Guest editor:
Cindy Brooks Dollar, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Studies of crime, deviance and social control have been a cornerstone of social science research for well over a century. Historically, these studies focused on explaining the causes of state-sanctioned violent or property crime or other acts deemed culturally deviant by conventional standards. As scholars began problematizing the socio-political inequalities inherent in these approaches, conversations and inquiries about crime-related matters began to shift. By the end of the 20th century, a small group of critical criminologists were calling for a nonviolent criminology—one that sought a humanist study of crime.
Although such a perspective has remained relatively marginal in academic circles, findings from contemporary research suggest a need to reconsider and reimagine the future of criminological and sociological thought. For instance, recent scholarship on victim-to-offender cycles, processes of desistance, and reentry and recovery highlights the import of instrumental and expressive acts of care and compassion. The evolution of certain theoretical perspectives, such as peacemaking criminology, convict criminology, and survivor criminology, also emphasize a trend towards holistic paradigms that seek to recognize the presence of harm and healing. Taken collectively, this work implies that studies of crime and punishment are incomplete if they overlook or dismiss the power of love, forgiveness, and reconciliation.
This special volume will feature papers from sociology, criminology, and related disciplines that demonstrate how studies of crime, deviance, and social control can be reconsidered and reframed to accentuate an opportunity for peacebuilding. All submitted abstracts will be reviewed for inclusion, including those proposing original empirical research, theoretical developments, or literature informed arguments. Scholars who are crime survivors and/or have been formerly incarcerated or system-contacted are especially encouraged to submit their work.
Topics can include, but certainly are not limited to:
- How existing criminological work reveals consequences of love, forgiveness, and peace
- If and how certain theoretical perspectives may be better equipped to incorporate peace, love, and forgiveness in their approach to studying crime, deviance, and social control
- If and how acts of love, forgiveness, peacemaking, or peacebuilding can be integrated in legal responses and/or policy implementation
- If and how the inclusion of forgiveness and peacemaking may vary across intersectional perspectives
Submission Guidelines: This Special Issue will be published in the peer-reviewed academic journal Sociation. Please make sure to follow the proper guidelines and format as required by the journal. You can find this information here: https://sociation.ncsociologyassoc.org/submission-guidelines/submission-guidelines/
If you are interested in submitting a paper to this special issue, please submit a 300-500 word abstract to the guest editor at cbdollar@uncg.edu by January 15, 2024. All abstracts will be reviewed. Decisions to invite a paper for consideration to the Special Issue will be made by March 30th. Invited full papers should then be submitted by June 30th, 2024.
In your abstract, please make sure to include the following:
- How your paper fits with the ongoing narrative and themes as described in this Call For Papers (CFP)
- What literature you plan to engage in your paper
- Please also be sure to include a working title and 2-3 keywords for your paper
Direct all correspondence, including any questions or requests for additional information, to cbdollar@uncg.edu.
Guest Editor Bio: Cindy Brooks Dollar is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at The University of North Carolina-Greensboro. Her research investigates links between inequalities, harm, and social control. She has been previously published in numerous journal outlets and books on criminological theory, social pain and trauma, and alternative governance settings.
