Criminology

Criminology is a transdisciplinary scientific subject with clear influences from sociology, law, psychology, gender studies and political science. Based on this specific combination of disciplines, criminology provides a unique starting point for the critical study of crime, deviant behavior and society's reactions to it.

The overall research focus for criminology at Mid Sweden University is to examine and problematize different forms of violence and crime prevention on a broad front and with a critical approach. This includes, among other things, evidence-based research on how crime can be prevented at different levels of society, how drugs and illicit substances relate to the understanding and prevention of crime, and evaluation research on how crime prevention efforts work, can be understood and how this relates to issues of security and control.

The research also includes studies on violence from both individual and structural perspectives, which also includes critical studies on how culture and society interact in relation to different power structures and how this affects violence, society's understanding of violence and how individuals experience violence in their everyday lives. In general, research in criminology at Mid Sweden University aims to achieve a deeper, more critical understanding of how crime and society's response to crime can be understood and contextualized.

Criminology research also aims to strengthen the links between education and research, developing international collaborations that can empower the environment for both research as well as education.