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Journal Article #1: Steinmetz, K. F., Schaefer, B. P., del Carmen, R. V., & Hemmens, C. (2014). Assessing the boundaries between criminal justice and criminology. Criminal Justice Review, 39(4), 357-376. doi:10.1177/0734016814532100

Abstract: There has long been a debate about what, if anything, differentiates criminology and criminal justice programs. Both grew about of sociology and, to a lesser degree, law and political science. In the 1970s and early 1980s, debate arose over the scope and limits of the two. That debate has faded today but the perceptions emanating from that controversy linger. The current study seeks to reopen the debate and invite disciplinary reflection. Two sources of data are analyzed: (1) doctoral program curricula and (2) articles in the top-tier disciplinary journals. Results show criminology courses are well represented in criminal justice doctoral programs, while criminal justice courses constitute a comparatively smaller part of criminology doctoral programs. In top-tier disciplinary journals, criminology articles are more prevalent than criminal justice articles. Plausible explanations are advanced. It is hoped that these findings provide a new springboard for further research and discussion that will lead to a better understanding and delineation of these allied disciplines.

Journal Article #2: Carrabine, E. (2016). Changing fortunes: Criminology and the sociological condition. Sociology, 50(5), 847-862. doi:10.1177/0038038516645751

Abstract: Criminology and its relationships with sociology are today at a crossroads, and this article explores the changing fortunes of each as they have evolved over the last 50 years. The separation has occurred as criminology has successfully established itself as an independent subject with an impressive ability to attract students, scholars and research grants. Some see the striking expansion of criminology and move away from the basic disciplines as an indication of success and impressive achievement, while others are more skeptical and highlight the costs such isolation brings. The article examines the consequences of these changes, then it focuses on the fates of some of the key concepts in sociological criminology, before concluding that social theory can be a unifying force, capable of reinvigorating the ties between the two disciplines.