Bristol University Press
4 Rural Criminology in Asia
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Abstract
Rural criminology in Asia emerges as a crucial field due to the continent’s vast and diverse rural landscape, significant global demographic presence, and distinct and multifarious criminogenic factors. With 49 countries and six distinct sub-regions characterised by unique cultural, linguistic and ethnic traits, Asia’s rural areas face various social, economic and cultural challenges to a different extent. There are also political instability, despotism, political violence, weak law and governance, regional political conflicts and communal violence. Moreover, there are diverse legal traditions, crimes, and crime control and justice mechanisms. These factors profoundly influence crime and justice dynamics in Asia. Despite this rich societal, economic, geographical, cultural and legal philosophical diversity in Asia and its criminogenic factors, its contribution to criminological literature, especially in rural contexts, remains muted compared to Western counterparts. Drawing upon existing criminological literature, this chapter presents a modest picture of rural criminology in Asia, but it acknowledges that a comprehensive understanding of distinct criminal behaviour and justice systems in Asia’s rural context still remains elusive. Limited access to pertinent data and local-language criminological research further impedes this understanding. Therefore, future rural criminologists have immense opportunities to explore and address these identified and unexplored challenges in understanding rural crime and justice in Asia.
Abstract
Rural criminology in Asia emerges as a crucial field due to the continent’s vast and diverse rural landscape, significant global demographic presence, and distinct and multifarious criminogenic factors. With 49 countries and six distinct sub-regions characterised by unique cultural, linguistic and ethnic traits, Asia’s rural areas face various social, economic and cultural challenges to a different extent. There are also political instability, despotism, political violence, weak law and governance, regional political conflicts and communal violence. Moreover, there are diverse legal traditions, crimes, and crime control and justice mechanisms. These factors profoundly influence crime and justice dynamics in Asia. Despite this rich societal, economic, geographical, cultural and legal philosophical diversity in Asia and its criminogenic factors, its contribution to criminological literature, especially in rural contexts, remains muted compared to Western counterparts. Drawing upon existing criminological literature, this chapter presents a modest picture of rural criminology in Asia, but it acknowledges that a comprehensive understanding of distinct criminal behaviour and justice systems in Asia’s rural context still remains elusive. Limited access to pertinent data and local-language criminological research further impedes this understanding. Therefore, future rural criminologists have immense opportunities to explore and address these identified and unexplored challenges in understanding rural crime and justice in Asia.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents vii
- Series Preface viii
- List of Figures and Tables xi
- Notes on Contributors xii
- Acknowledgements xvi
- Rural Criminology: State of the Art on the World’s Continents – Introduction 1
- Rural Criminology Studies in Africa: Geographical Status 13
- Freeze Outs and Meltdowns in Antarctica: Harms, Transgressions and Conflicts in the Southern Continent 37
- Rural Criminology in Asia 57
- Rural Criminology in Europe 84
- The Status of Rural Crime Studies in North America 108
- ‘Oceanic Criminology’ and Rural Access to Justice Across the Pacific 130
- Rural Criminology in South America: Opportunities, Challenges and Future Prospects on Crime and Justice 153
- Rural Criminology in Global Perspective: Emerging Themes 174
- Index 191
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents vii
- Series Preface viii
- List of Figures and Tables xi
- Notes on Contributors xii
- Acknowledgements xvi
- Rural Criminology: State of the Art on the World’s Continents – Introduction 1
- Rural Criminology Studies in Africa: Geographical Status 13
- Freeze Outs and Meltdowns in Antarctica: Harms, Transgressions and Conflicts in the Southern Continent 37
- Rural Criminology in Asia 57
- Rural Criminology in Europe 84
- The Status of Rural Crime Studies in North America 108
- ‘Oceanic Criminology’ and Rural Access to Justice Across the Pacific 130
- Rural Criminology in South America: Opportunities, Challenges and Future Prospects on Crime and Justice 153
- Rural Criminology in Global Perspective: Emerging Themes 174
- Index 191
