Dee Cook
Professor of Social Policy
Regional Research Institute
University of Wolverhampton
Dear All,
Thanks for Peter Taylor-Gooby's input to this debate - basically, I agree!!
But this is just a reminder than some of us have been trying to build
bridges (and breach boundaries) between criminology and social policy for
some time now (with sound academic justifications, and not just to 'save'
the discipline or to enhance student recruitment!).
Yes, students do want to study criminology, and not just because of what
used to be termed the 'Cracker Factor', but because it is lively, topical,
riven with debate and something they feel they can actively engage with....
the same should be true of social policy.
But this is not just an issue of 're-branding' social policy in an
opportunistic way: key areas of contemporary policy (notably the work of the
SEU) are inextricably linked with community safety/crime reduction
policies - ergo, criminal justice and social policies are (whether folks
like it or not) becoming ever closer and 'joined-up' - both in theory and
practice - so should the work of acdemics, whether in terms of research or
curriculum development.
Look forward to more debate at the SPA COnference!
Dee.
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