What is "cultural criminology"?

Cultural criminology is primarily concerned with understanding the ways in which crime is influenced by culture, particularly how societal norms, values, and narratives shape the perception and representation of crime. This approach emphasizes the interplay between societal factors and criminal behavior, exploring how cultural contexts inform both the experiences of individuals engaged in crime and the societal reactions to those behaviors. By focusing on crime narratives, cultural criminology investigates how media representations, popular culture, and public discourse contribute to our understanding of crime and deviance in society. This perspective highlights the importance of context and meaning in the study of crime, making it distinct from other methodologies that might center solely on quantitative data, economic analysis, or documentary techniques.