Before even attempting to approach the question "How might the notion of "the self" be interpreted in criminological research?" I thought it was important to define what is here meant by "criminological research".
Often, people view the study of Deviance and Criminology synonymously. Though the two are related, they are not the same. Yes, those who commit crimes (criminals), are considered deviant by those who do not commit crimes. Yet, the members of any given "criminal" subculture (i.e. gangs, organized crime etc.) do not necessarily consider themselves deviant, rather it is their way of life, just as the law-abiding citizens consider their own behaviour to be just and normal. Whether or not a criminal is considered a deviant is a matter of perspective. To the criminal, committing crimes is usually seen as normal whereas this type of activity is considered deviant to the non-criminal (Young, 1999). As we will see below, this is often also the core of the discussion we will meet in our search of "How the notion of "the self" might be interpreted in criminological research?" Therefore, in this context, "criminological research" is to be viewed as concerning both crime and deviance.
There are two main schools of thought in defining and understanding deviance; Deviance as Objective Reality and Deviance as Subjective Experience.
By viewing deviance as objectively real, one is adopting a positivistic stance of deviance. Positivistic approaches tend to look for actual causes of deviance focusing on either the existing social structural, socio-cultural, or socialization conditions that brought about the deviant act. This approach has also searched for the causes of deviance at the physiological and psychological level of the individual who engages in deviant behaviour, in other words, trying to find out what is wrong with such an individual (Downes & Rock, 2003).
However, in considering how the notion of "the self" might be interpreted in criminological research, our main focus will be on Deviance as Subjective Experience.