Mainstream or standard criminology

The field of criminology includes a diverse range of viewpoints and perspectives and is informed by a wide array of research methods and theoretical approaches. This diversity can make it difficult for those coming to criminology for the first time to locate the theoretical underpinnings or disciplinary roots of particular criminological perspectives. In order to situate the ideas that are associated with ‘critical’ or ‘radical’ criminology, we include here a very brief consideration of the history of the development of two ‘standard’ criminological perspectives: classical criminology and positivist criminology.