Abstract
The article discusses conceptions of legitimacy and obedience as suggested by some social theory approaches. It attempts to problematize perspectives that examine these notions within sociological and criminological research, focusing on analyses of security and justice institutions. Starting from Weber’s writings on legitimate orders and the types of domination, we explore the proposals for operationalizing legitimacy elaborated by Beetham and Coicaud. Next, we introduce the debate of contemporary criminologists such as Tyler, Bottoms and Tankebe, who focus on the legitimacy of laws and the police. Finally, we discuss the obstacles to measuring legitimacy and present a solution adopted in the Brazilian context.
Keywords:
Legitimacy; Obedience; Criminology; Social Theory; Police