Within criminology, and other social science disciplines, the understanding that knowledge is socially constructed and meaning is given to things from people and their interactions is particularly pertinent: especially for researchers involved with people. And ‘perspective’ can be challenging to navigate, challenging to be critical of and challenging to recognise within and outside of a research context. Thinking about the public, the understanding of the nature of knowledge is often taken at face value and not viewed critically; perhaps a skill or requirement which should be part of mainstream education, then again maybe not. Consider the below example, your thoughts and attitudes towards the actors, actions and outcomes… consider your perspective.
A boy begins testing boundaries with his father, he deliberately disobeys him around where he can go and what he can do. He even encourages a friend to join him on his adventures: ducking away from the adult eyes that are watching over them. The boy is told off for putting himself and friend in a dangerous situation, and he appears sincere for his mistakes. Alas, he finds himself in trouble again; this time with dire consequences. The boy’s father dies trying to get him out of trouble. The boy runs away to a place where his past is unknown, and joins a group of outcasts. He grows up into a young man on the fringes of society. He is persuaded to return home, whereby he is involved in a violent fight, which almost results in his death. Luckily, he overcomes his opposition; finding himself with a only a few cuts and bruises. His opponent is forced to flee. He is triumphant, but at what cost?
This is one perspective and overview: from an outsider looking in. There are other ways to describe the example below (which we will come on to), but firstly: what are your thoughts on the young boy and his behaviour? What outcomes are required, if any, and at what stages of this boy’s life? Is this something which requires support, love and care or surveillance, control and discipline?
Another way of looking at the above scenario is to watch the Lion King (1994).1 The young boy in question is Simba. Maybe you already spotted that, maybe you aren’t familiar with the story or perspectives the film is told by. Perspectives matter….
- For those less familiar with Disney animations, the themes are also apparent within Shakespeare’s Hamlet (c. 1600). ↩︎
Thoughts from the criminology team 
The British perspective has always been to smack children to get compliance. Bandura showed with his 1961 Bobo doll experiment aggressive behaviour is imitated by children and especially boys. Most British parents have said to a child “You do that again and I’ll smack you”. The child does it again and is smacked. Sometimes a child and parent become locked in a cycle of repeating bad behaviour and getting smacked. Both parent and child getting some perverse pleasure in non-compliance. Often it ends with the child howling loudly and the parent giving the child reassurance. It is a high price to pay to get parental attention and love.
Coram Child Advice says “Smacking was banned in Scotland in 2020 and was followed in Wales in 2022, prompting renewed calls for the UK government to outlaw the practice in England and Northern Ireland.”
When governments want people to be compliant we often refer to “carrot and stick”. The stick being the punishment and the carrot being the reward.
You.com (Genius mode) Artificial Intelligence tells me “Winston Churchill, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, used the phrase “carrot and stick” during a press conference on May 25, 1943. He stated, “We shall continue to operate on the Italian donkey at both ends, with a carrot and with a stick”. In this context, Churchill was referring to his strategy of dealing with Italy during World War II with rewards and punishments.
We do not know the specific details of the carrots and sticks used by Churchill on Italy during World War II and we are left to extrapolate whether it could mean providing food aid to them as a carrot or dropping bombs on them as a stick.
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