Conclusion: Making Sense of Loss

The concluding chapter pulls together the various forms of loss outlined throughout the book and the key themes emerging from the different authors’ interpretations of their significance and symbolism. Split into four thematic sections – loss as a motivator; loss as an obligatory component of the research process; loss as symbolic; and loss as legacy – it considers how loss is integral to criminology. Criminology is a discipline which ultimately has loss located at its philosophical and practical core – and how we therefore interpret and negotiate loss is of crucial importance, whether that be as students, academics and/or researchers. Yet loss also represents a vital aspect of the commodified criminological academic complex, and how we respond to the ethical challenges that this raises is equally important. The purpose of the book was to offer a voice to the voiceless and ensure their stories are told. In doing so we also made sure our own voices were not lost. Centring loss within theoretical and methodological conceptions, however, also offers a small opportunity to unite the criminological (sociological, anthropological, psychological and legal) community(s) which transcends the litany of theoretical differences and juxtapositions within the discipline(s).