Please join us for a seminar on Henrique Carvalho and Anastasia Chamberlen's new book, Questioning Punishment. The seminar will consist of a short presentation of the book, followed by comments by two discussants, Alan Norrie (Warwick Law) and Emily Gray (Warwick Sociology), and a drinks reception.

The book pulls together discussions and research conducted collaboratively between Henrique and Anastasia over the past 10 years and has just been published (October 6th) by Routledge in their Criminology and Criminal Justice Series. Details are hereLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window.

The discussants at this book launch will be Professor Alan Norrie and Dr Emily Gray

About the book:

By drawing on a scholarship from law, sociology, criminology, and philosophy the book questions punishment as concept, social phenomenon and contemporary practice. It seeks to examine what are the assumptions underpinning its normalisation and legitimation in society and examines punishment’s targets, objectives and implications. The book also seeks to locate punishment and punitivity within their wider social-cultural contexts. It ultimately aims to unsettle the idea that there is something common-sensical, necessary and unavoidable about punitive justice.

As its title suggests, the book attempts to answer a series of questions, including what punishment is; who punishment’s targets and subjects are; how punishment is perpetuated and experienced; when and where punishment unfolds and finally, why we punish. It ends by considering the implications of this enquiry to understandings of punishment and broader pursuits of justice.