Rethinking the Concept of Crime within the Postmodern Paradigm

Abstract

The transformation in epistemological and discursive approaches during the postmodern era has raised fundamental questions about many classical concepts in the humanities. One such concept is the traditional definition of crime, which, within the framework of the modern paradigm, was regarded as a phenomenon with objective and inherent characteristics. This article seeks to rethink the concept of crime from the perspective of postmodernism. The main research question is whether redefining crime based on postmodern theories can offer a different picture from classical interpretations. The central hypothesis suggests that, while the modernist approach views crime as inherent to the act itself and grounded in universal principles, the postmodern understanding considers crime as a constructed phenomenon shaped by cultural, discursive, and power-related contexts. This research employs a descriptive-analytical method based on library and documentary sources. Findings indicate that our conceptualization of crime plays a fundamental role in shaping key notions such as the criminal, causes of criminal behavior, criminal policy, justice, and prevention. From a postmodern perspective, the criminality of an act does not arise from its intrinsic nature, but rather from external structures, power dynamics, and discursive processes. As such, this approach opens the door to novel frameworks for analyzing crime and reconsidering the foundations of criminal policy-making.