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Project Description

The specific criminological theories taught by Dr. Singh in her MA theory course CRM: 8002: Critical Engagement with Criminological theories forms the basis for the selection of the 11 historical photos featured in the Visualizing Crim Project. These photos are part of a longer list identified by the collaborating team of Dr. Singh, Dr. Tandon and Anna Jedrzejowski who reviewed the extensive archival holdings of The Image Centre for relevant images.

Work with Archival Photos and Independent Research

The Image Centre Archives provided students with supervised access to the original and digitized versions of the 11 selected archival photos from the Black Star Collection and the Rudolph P. Bratty Family Collection. Each student group worked with one of the selected photos and a particular criminological theory. They engaged in independent research on their assigned theory, photographic image and the photographer where known. Drawing on their research, student groups wrote an interpretive gallery label to accompany the archival photo.

Gallery labels are used to engage audiences and they provide some context for interpreting the different meanings of photographic images.  The student produced labels are intended as a research resource for inclusion in The Image Center’s publicly searchable database.

Theoretical Framework

Each student label uses one theory as a framing device to direct the audience’s attention to some aspect of the photographic image and to provide an interpretive context for understanding the highlighted elements.

The examples of theories applied include but not limited to: 

  • Labeling Theory: the theory suggests that criminal justice practices such as arrest play a key role in shifting the way a person sees themselves, and the way others see them, and as such cements a person’s involvement in crime and isolates them from society.
  • Radical Feminist Theory: this theory focuses attention on violence against women and points to structural causes (a patriarchal system in which a particular form of masculinity prevails).
  • Social Bond Theory emphasises a youth’s bonds with peers, parents and teachers as protective factors – youth with these tight social bonds will simply not have the time to engage in crime and moreover will not want to risk losing these connections.
  • Social Learning and Neutralization Theories: these theories argue that all behaviours, including crime and police violence, is learned. In part, if we make it harder for people to believe the justifications– e.g. taking from the rich to give to the poor – they tell themselves before they act then crime can be held in check.
  • Routine Activities Theory: for this theory, crime occurs where a motivated offender (e.g. someone in need of money), a suitable target (expensive cameras on display) and lack of guardianship (no police or security guards) all converge in the same time and place.
  • Critical Race Theory: this theory examines the linkages between the racialization and criminalization processes – the racial structure of society is defended by the criminal justice system.
  • Social Disorganization Theory: this theory links crime to the physical environment through the breakdown of social controls.
  • Rational Choice/Deterrence Theories: these theories suggest we are all capable of engaging in crime. What stops us is fear of repercussions e.g. legal costs associated with arrest, prosecution, conviction; social costs associated with shame, embarrassment.

Caution is required regarding these interpretations of the photos precisely because these derive from specific criminological theories. Different theories operate with different, and sometimes distinct, worldviews – working within a particular theory means paying attention to some aspect of the social world while ignoring or downplaying other aspects. Much like a camera lens, theories can focus in on particular things while leaving other things blurred or completely out of sight. The vast majority of criminological theories have been quite rightly critiqued for glossing over or ignoring the importance of race, gender and other systems of power. Some theories see crime, disorder and other issues captured in the selected archival photos as most likely engaged in by certain social groups, a position unsupported by empirical evidence including that produced by the legal system.