Action Research in Criminal Justice

There is too little 'action research' in the field of restorative and criminal justice. This collection of essays is therefore a welcome addition to scholarship on conflicts in 'intercultural' settings. While there has been some empirical work on Northern Ireland, the chapters on Austria, Hungary and Serbia provide readers who are very familiar with Anglo-American research with something new. - Carolyn Hoyle, Professor and Director of the Centre for Criminology, University of Oxford, UK The volume presents a variety of approaches for dealing constructively with conflicts and a treasure of expertise collected in different geographic areas, starting from Scandinavia, up to Central and South-East Europe. It is based on a fruitful and multidisciplinary cooperation between scholars and practitioners from Norway, Belgium, Austria, Hungary, Serbia and Northern Ireland. Some of them have a solid track record in restorative justice in the field of criminology, others are experts in mediation, conflict transformation and conflict resolution in local communities or intercultural settings, and others are eager to cope with the legacies of violence in post-war societies. All case studies have one finding in common: in certain settings, involving stakeholders and make them take own responsibility for problem-solving will offer more convincing and sustainable paths to justice and security, rather than institutionalized forms that rely on the force of law or violence. Moreover, the book gives insights in a highly innovative approach: it demonstrates that action research is a very appropriate way to address these sensitive issues, as it involves the people on the ground and allows for trust-building and mutual learning between those who work in and on conflicts, and those who are stakeholders and those who observe and analyze (or facilitate) the process. - Dr Martina Fischer, Peace Researcher and Political Scientist, Berlin, Germany