Introduction

Abstract

This introduction provides an overview of the historiography in regard to forensic science, medicine and psychiatry. It sketches how insights from the cultural turn, the practice turn and Science and Technology Studies (STS) have impacted research on the history of forensics. Then, the three main arguments of the volume are introduced. Firstly, the book calls for a serious engagement with the meanings of the concept of modernity and its implications for the study of forensic science and medicine. Thus, it zooms in on the relationship between modernity and the presumed shift from human witnesses to material evidence; on the impact of authoritarian regimes on the functioning of forensic experts; and on the role of modern epistemic virtues such as objectivity, but also of the modern media and gender images. Secondly, the importance of studying forensic practices (in contrast to forensic institutions or scientific discourses) is highlighted. Thirdly, the book suggests exploring the notion of ‘forensic culture’ in more detail. Important elements of a definition of forensic culture may include - in addition to technology and the professionalisation of experts - ideology (political ideology, but also ideas on religion, class, race and gender), the role of the media, legal systems and the formulation of criminal and procedural law. The Introduction shows how all chapters engage with these themes and closes by suggesting themes to be explored by future research.