Research on Geography of Crime and Social Change-in Transitional China Since the Economic Reform

Abstract

It is believed from Western studies that, social changes during the transition have significant impacts on crime change. However, whether the western well developed theories can fit into our Chinese society? How to identify the real criminogenic and crime-mediating conditions in China? Moreover, from a geographical perspective, were there any consistent relationships between crime and socioeconomic conditions over different geographical scales? This article tries to answer the questions by analyse the literature on geography of crime and social change, as well as its practical possibility to fit into the Chinese society, and arrived at the following points: (1) when introducing the Western well-developed criminological theories into Chinese society, some measures need to be adjusted to Chinese features and scale effects; (2) it is better to discuss their influence on crimes case by case, taking into consideration of the spatial and temporal scales, as well as the specific target's features; (3) both scale-down and scale-up research are necessary, because only through such a comprehensive framework, can it reflect the real situation in China, and further act as an instrument for effective crime control and prevention.