Nils Christie (24 February 1928 – 27 May 2015) was a Norwegian
sociologist and
criminologist
Criminology (from Latin , "accusation", and Ancient Greek , ''-logia'', from λόγος ''logos'' meaning: "word, reason") is the study of crime and deviant behaviour. Criminology is an interdisciplinary field in both the behavioural and ...
. He was a professor of criminology at the
Faculty of Law, University of Oslo.
Personal life
Christie was born in
Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
on 24 February 1928, a son of Ragnvald Christie and Ruth Hellum. He married Vigdis Margit Moe in 1951, and was later married to .
[
]
Career
Having passed examen artium at Berg Upper Secondary School in 1946, Christie graduated in sociology from the University of Oslo
The University of Oslo ( no, Universitetet i Oslo; la, Universitas Osloensis) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the highest ranked and oldest university in Norway. It is consistently ranked among the top universit ...
in 1953. His dr.philos. thesis ''Unge norske lovovertredere'' from 1959 is a comparison of all male lawbreakers born in 1933 in Norway to others born the same year.[ He was appointed at the Faculty of Law, University of Oslo from 1959, and was a professor of criminology at the faculty from 1966. Among his books is ''Pinens begrensning'' (Limits to Pain) from 1981, which has been translated into eleven languages. His work ''Fangevoktere i konsentrasjonsleire'' (Prison Guards in Concentration Camps, 1952) was selected for the Norwegian Sociology Canon in 2009–2011. He received an ]honorary degree
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad h ...
from the University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Universitet, KU) is a prestigious public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in ...
.prison
A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, corre ...
s.
He was a member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters ( no, Det Norske Videnskaps-Akademi, DNVA) is a learned society based in Oslo, Norway. Its purpose is to support the advancement of science and scholarship in Norway.
History
The Royal Frederick Unive ...
.
Nils Christie was awarded the 2001 Fritt Ord Freedom of Expression
Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recog ...
Prize "for his original and independent contributions to the Norwegian and international social debate."The Fritt Ord Freedom of Expression Prize Laureates
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Select bibliography
*''Fangevoktere i konsentrasjonsleire'' (Prison Guards in Concentration Camps, 1952)
*''Hvis skolen ikke fantes'' (1971)
*''Pinens begrensning'' (1981)
**''Limits to Pain'' (1981)
*''Den gode fiende: Narkotikapolitikk i Norden'' (with Kettil Bruun, 1985)
*''Kriminalitetskontrol som industri: På vej mod GULAG, vestlig stil?'' (1996)
**''Crime Control as Industry: Towards GULAGs, Western Style?'' (2000)
*''En passende mengde kriminalitet'' (2004)
**''A Suitable Amount of Crime'' (2004)
See also
* Christie's reaction to the Beisfjord Massacre
References
1928 births
2015 deaths
Norwegian criminologists
University of Oslo alumni
Academics of the Faculty of Law, University of Oslo
Members of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
Prison abolitionists
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