Socialization and legitimization of Criminology in Mexico (1930-1974)

Abstract

This article analyzes why Criminology took nearly four decades to establish itself as a degree in Mexico, concluding that the delay was due to various factors such as the resistance and monopoly exercised by the legal profession and the criticism that claimed Criminology lacked the elements of a science. The study is based on Andrew Abbott's sociology of professions and Pierre Bourdieu's concept of habitus, arguing that the legal guild actively defended its jurisdiction over the criminal phenomenon, relegating criminology to a merely auxiliary and technical role; that is, it did not reject its knowledge but rather saw it as a threat to the legal profession.

Evidence of this power struggle includes several aspects: the initial failures to create programs at UNAM and other educational institutions; the opposition to creating specialized degrees in Criminology from figures like José Almaraz, Luis Trujillo, Carrancá, and Alfonso Quiroz; and the fact that the first criminologist to graduate received the title of “Expert,” conferring a status subordinate to Law.

The decisive breakthrough did not occur in the center of power (Mexico City) but at UANL in 1974. There, the vision of local authorities and the tireless work of Quiroz led to the creation of the first independent degree program. The study demonstrates that academic qualification is a power struggle and not just an intellectual development, warning that, ironically, the subsequent massification has devalued the scientific approach that its pioneers defended.