The Spark That Started It All: My Criminology Journey

The line between good and evil is permeable, and almost anyone can be induced to cross it when pressured by situational forces.

— Philip Zimbardo

Never would it have been a case of central importance, nor a sensational criminal case that influenced me towards a career in criminology; it was something much more personal. Being raised in relatively conservative Pakistan, I witnessed white collar crime activities. It was more out of curiosity; I saw things like corruption, nepotism and falsehood as more than just newspaper stories. These events stirred something that was already in me. I began asking myself questions such as: why are these crimes so commonplace? What drives an individual to traffic power? This question did not remain a fascination for long, as I became engrossed in the quest for the intricacies surrounding crime and deviance, and the concepts that seek to mitigate them.

It all started as an exasperation, a disappointment with the world, which then transformed itself into an internal investigation into criminology - a pursuit I still chase today. Also, like all journeys worth embarking on, mine had many surprises and epiphanies that I least expected. And that is where my story begins....

In a society where power was frequently abused, I was able to comprehend the extent to which people could engage in white collar crimes. It is not that there was just one bad apple there in the barrel; it was a rotten barrel that thorns the juicy apples protecting the ones who are able to create treachery. It was so pronounced that nepotism among the people was regarded as normal and acceptable. Some rose due to connections; others who toiled and labored were disregarded. I recount these methods and I realize I cannot just wait and observe – I have to seek explanation.

It made me reconsider not only the characters who committed these offenses but also the environment and mentality that helped them flourish. Could it be avarice? Social influences? Immorality? The more I pondered over these questions, the more I saw to my great relief that criminology was the area where I could perfectly address these questions.

It was easy to continue with criminology. I have always been passionate about understanding what makes individuals compel to do something immoral, how abuses conducted by people in power differ from ordinary crimes, and what can be done to reform these norms. Above all, I wanted to apply this understanding to the problems. To confront the very problem making it possible for such oppression to exist.

When I began the program, I soon appreciated that criminology revolved around more than just catching the bad guys. It involved an analysis of society's overall picture: understanding peoples behavior, the limitations of the legal system, and the social archetype of crime and its stereotypes. It is the study of the socially constructed individual and the forces in society that will encourage deviations from the law. It is the study of the individual and society all at once. I was engrossed in it all.

I started with the problems I’d seen at home, but it’s become so much more: from just individual criminal behavior, I’ve learned to see crime as an expression of the world we’re all living in. The solutions are never straightforward, and that’s what keeps criminology interesting; it’s always a call to keep questioning, to keep digging, to not accept things at face value.

This is the start to a journey that I hope will lead to further contributions as I continue to unfurl this fascinating human tapestry – one fibre at a time.

And that, for me, is where the real journey lies.