Bio          

Mathieu Deflem studied sociology and anthropology at universities in Belgium, England, and the United States. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado in 1996. His research and teaching areas include sociology of law, social control, popular culture, and sociological theory. 

Research

Substantive research interests: Sociology of law; Crime and social control; Popular culture; Sociological theory       

Department cluster: Inequalities and Institutions 

Current projects: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and education; Law and popular culture; Celebrity activism; International police cooperation.

Teaching

SOCY 393 Sociological Theory
SOCY 507 Sociology of Social Control
SOCY 540 Sociology of Law
SOCY 560 Advanced Sociological Theory 

Recent Publications

Books:

2025       (Co-editor with Hiroshi Takahashi, Dimitri Vanoverbeke, and Jason G. Karlin) Law and Culture in Japan: Institutions, Justice, and Media. Emerald Publishing. 

2025       (Editor) Democracy, Governance, and Law. Emerald Publishing. 

Articles and Chapters:

2025     “Becoming a Mental Health Activist: The Learning of Naomi Osaka” (co-authored with Megan Routh). Journal for Cultural Research 29(3):332-357. 

2025     “October 7 and International Police Cooperation: The Silence of Interpol.” Belügyi Szemle: Academic Journal of Internal Affairs 73(8):1771-1787. 

2025     “Law and Popular Culture in the United States and Japan: Foundations for a Comparative-Transnational Perspective” (In Japanese, translated by Shigehito Sawade and Nanako Hatta). Japanese Law & Society Review 10:51-75. 

2025     “Racial Justice Activism and Democracy: The Deliberative Role of Black Women Athletes” (co-authored with Brandii Brunson). Pp. 141-156 in Democracy, Governance, and Law, edited by M. Deflem. Leeds, UK: Emerald Publishing. 

2024     “The Declining Significance of Interpol: Policing International Terrorism after 9/11.” International Criminal Justice Review 34(1):5-19. 

Copies of writings are available via deflem.blogspot.com