On the polysemy of 'clan crime' and the difficulty of an alternative term

Struck, Jens; Nüschen, Stella; Wagner, Daniel; Görgen, Thomas

Abstract

The frequently formulated criticism of the term ‘clan crime’ often falls short. However, this designation of a supposedly distinct crime phenomenon cannot simply be replaced by an alternative term, a possible synonym. The word ‘clan crime’ may seem to refer to a specific phenomenon, but the attributions usually made are extremely heterogeneous and unspecific. This chapter primarily discusses the extent to which the use of the term involves semantic ambiguity, or polysemy. This is discussed in terms of discourse theory, drawing on various research findings. Among other things, it is argued that the assumption that a social manifestation is ‘clan crime’ is based on the perception of ‘clan’ as an explanatory concept. ‘Clan’ as an explanatory concept overlays other explana tory factors of deviant behavior, is at least questionable from a social science perspective and, in view of the topic, also carries the risk of (re-)producing prejudices with far-reaching consequences.