Choosing a Different Path : A Critical Discussion of Determinism, Agency, and Subjective Change in Desistance from Crime

This paper critically explores how deterministic assumptions within criminology are challenged by the phenomenon of desistance from crime. Drawing on an explorative, metatheoretical approach, the study compares central criminological explanations of desistance to examine their treatment of human agency. The analysis highlights tensions between determinism and voluntarism, structure and agency, and suggests that understanding subjective experiences of change is crucial to explaining the desistance phenomenon. By foregrounding human agency and subjectivity, this study aims to contribute to a nuanced conceptualization of criminal behavior and provides some implications for rehabilitation practices.