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: Counterterrorism; International police cooperation; Law and popular culture in Japan and the USA; Celebrity activism      

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, first published online, https://doi.org/10.1080/14797585.2025.2477523. 

2025 "October 7 and International Police Cooperation: The Silence of Interpol." Belügyi Szemle: Academic Journal of Internal Affairs, in press for publication. 

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

2023       “Celebrity Culture and Activism during and since COVID-19: A Sociological Model of Analysis for (Post-)Pandemic Times” (with Megan Routh, Logan Hickey, and Brandii Brunson). International Review of Modern Sociology 49(1):25-48. 

2023       “The Criminal Justice Activism of Naomi Osaka: A Case Study in the Criminology of Celebrity Culture.” American Journal of Criminal Justice 48(3):723-748. 

Copies of writings are available via deflem.blogspot.com