In search of interactive globalisation: Critical criminology in South Africa's transition

Maureen Cain (2000) identifies orientalism and occidentalism as features of much criminological writing on "non-western" societies. As alternatives to these opposite but complimentary tendencies, she argues for the possibility of mutual and reciprocal learning under conditions of interactive globalisation. The purpose of this article is to look for evidence of orientalism, occidentalism and interactive globalisation in the exchange of critical criminological ideas between North and South during the period of South Africa's transition to democracy. The discussion focuses on two bodies of critical criminological work - left realism and nodal governance theory - and traces their development-in-use both as examples of criminological theorising and attempts to reshape the practice of policing. Traces of orientalism and occidentalism are detected in the evolution of critical criminology in South Africa over the last 25 years, but it is argued that the exchange of criminological ideas has been far from unidirectional and can indeed be characterised as a continuing process of interactive globalisation.