In Search of Well-being: The Problematic Nature of the Positive Turn in Criminology

Positive criminology focuses on the practical dimension of criminological knowledge and, following in the footsteps of positive psychology, formulates proposals for responding to crime by appealing to the positive states of the recipient of rehabilitation efforts: his or her positive emotions, experiences, and personal resources. The purpose of this article is to review the main assumptions of the positive turn in criminology, taking into account both the influence of positive psychology and changes in the broader socio-cultural background. In the article, I draw attention to the possible problematic nature of transferring the solutions of positive psychology to the realm of rehabilitative settings. One partial solution to these challenges is the integration of the insights from the second wave of positive psychology. This entails a more nuanced understanding of the core concepts of happiness and well-being. Within such an approach, the meaning and significance of negative individual experiences is restored.