Not Here to Fit In: Criminology’s Institutional Contradictions and Feminist Scholar-Activism

Abstract

Feminist scholar-activists in criminology occupy a paradoxical position where politically engaged research is rhetorically encouraged but structurally constrained. Most definitions assume combining scholarly and activist roles is simply additive. Drawing on institutional anomie theory (Messner & Rosenfeld, 2012), academia exemplifies institutional crisis by promoting expressive commitments like justice while privileging instrumental goals like prestige and productivity. A triadic framework reveals how scholar, activist, and scholar-activist roles are institutionally separated to preserve knowledge hierarchies. Feminist scholar-activists inhabit a liminal space between institutional legitimacy and justice-oriented knowledge practices. Rather than seeking assimilation into anomic structures, feminist scholar-activism constitutes a necessary, strategic transgression.

Keywords

scholar-activism institutional anomie theory academic institutions

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