Criminology is a relatively new academic discipline and has been called a rendezvous subject by Professor David Downes, one of the Mannheim Centre’s founding members. By this is meant it is a touchstone for the melding of the different academic interests reflected in the multiple disciplines of its affiliates.
Ian loader and Richard Sparks outline the areas of interest in criminological enquiry as concerning crime, policing, justice, punishment, fear, victims, control, order and security.
The Mannheim Centre for the Study of Criminology and Criminal Justice
Members of the Mannheim Centre have contributed significantly to the development of scholarship in these areas and notably has pioneered research into the experiences of women and black and ethnic minorities.
LSE's Mannheim Centre has been fortunate to have had many of the key figures in British Criminology amongst its members including the late Stan Cohen and the late Terry Morris as well as the still very active Professors Paul Rock, Robert Reiner and David Downs.
Robert’s writing on policing, Paul’s on victims and David’s on prisons make up key texts on criminology reading lists. Other members of Mannheim have been instrumental in significant and pioneering work on gender and race in the justice system, suicide, drugs, social disorder and deviance.