Nils Christie

Nils Christie (24 February 1928 – 27 May 2015)[1] was a Norwegian sociologist and criminologist. He was a professor of criminology at the Faculty of Law, University of Oslo.

Nils Christie
Nils Christie speaking at Utah Valley State College in 2007
Born(1928-02-24)24 February 1928
Oslo, Norway
Died27 May 2015(2015-05-27) (aged 87)
Oslo, Norway
CitizenshipNorwegian
Scientific career
FieldsCriminology, Sociology

Personal life

Christie was born in Oslo on 24 February 1928, a son of Ragnvald Christie and Ruth Hellum. He married Vigdis Margit Moe in 1951, and was later married to Hedda Giertsen.[2]

Career

Having passed examen artium at Berg Upper Secondary School in 1946, Christie graduated in sociology from the University of Oslo 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.[2] 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 from the University of Copenhagen.[2][3] Christie is well known for his longstanding criticism of drug prohibition, industrial society, and prisons.

He was a member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.[4]

Nils Christie was awarded the 2001 Fritt Ord Freedom of Expression Prize "for his original and independent contributions to the Norwegian and international social debate."[5]

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

References
  1. Nils Christie er død, Aftenposten.no
  2. Kalleberg, Ragnvald. "Nils Christie". In Helle, Knut (ed.). Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
  3. "Nils Christie". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
  4. "Gruppe 8: Samfunnsfag (herunder sosiologi, statsvitenskap og økonomi)" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
  5. The Fritt Ord Freedom of Expression Prize Laureates
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