Derek Layder
University of Leicester, UK
Title: Forensic Sociology: Towards an integrated research agenda
Biography
Biography: Derek Layder
Abstract
‘Investigative research’ (Layder 1997, 1998, 2006, 2013, 2017) is a sociology-based framework but eminently suited to forensic science. Criminal behaviour or activity (violence, extortion, robbery, or serial murder) is understood as an outcome of the intersecting influences of four principal social domains -along with their sub-dimensions of power and temporality. 1]‘Psychobiography’ traces ‘perpetrators’ psychological states of mind, intertwined with social involvements, emotions and preferred modes of interpersonal control -as they unfold over time. 2] ‘Situated activity’ examines face to face encounters (between victims and perpetrators) and the importance of emergent meanings.3] ‘Social settings’ are the proximate social locations of criminal activities and significantly influence criminal conduct 4] ‘Contextual resources’ (wider societal influence of such factors as -class gender, ethnicity, age) in both material (money, goods) and symbolic (values, beliefs) forms. Additionally, different (domain) forms of ‘power & control’ and ‘temporality’ significantly affect the unfolding narratives of crime. The strengths of such a programme are: 1] Brings together sociology, psychology, philosophy, anthropology and other strands of forensic science to form a unified interdisciplinary research programme, 2] Common focus around emotion and interpersonal control (Layder 2004). 3] Integrated approach allows diverse, but complementary theories and research approaches, to work in unison, 3] Based on a unique combination of theory-testing and theory-generating approaches in the context of multi-strategy and mixed methods research.