Asian Criminology and Globalization of Comparative Studies

Abstract

In his famous book, “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions”, Thomas Kuhn, a influential philosopher of science, uses the word of Paradigm to refer to the set of concepts and practices that define a scientific discipline at any particular period of time. He stresses the important role of scientific paradigm in the development of science through providing models and patterns of doing science. He analyzed the role of paradigm change in the scientific revolution, the role played by new scientific paradigm in the rapid growth of new scientific knowledge. In my 2009 paper “Asian Criminology – Challenges, Opportunities, and directions”, I briefly reviewed the growth experience of Western Criminology and proposed that “Shared conceptual frameworks, research approaches, and institutionalization under a unified paradigm greatly promote the rapid growth of a science”. I suggested that the strategy for developing criminology in Asia is to developing an Asian criminological paradigm. Western criminology has become mature disciplines. “Development towards relatively unified concepts, approaches, and institutionalization of criminology has led to a common paradigm for dialogue, debate, and discussion, as well as generally shared standards for evaluation of research and programs and a relatively clearer direction for advancement.” In contrast, there was a lack of an Asian Criminology Paradigm, and a lack of platforms and institutions for exchange and share ideas among Asian criminologists and with criminologists in the world. Development of an Asian Criminology Paradigm will significantly influence the growth of Asian criminology.  We would like to promote “a scientific revolution” in Asian Criminology it is important to promote a development of Asian Criminology Paradigm.