Final answer:
Post-modernism is the emerging approach that challenges and debunks existing criminological perspectives by suggesting that there is no absolute truth and advocating for individual interpretation, standing in contrast to positivism.
Step-by-step explanation:
The emerging approach that challenges and debunks existing criminological perspectives is post-modernism. Post-modernism critically examines existing narratives and frameworks, suggesting that there is no absolute truth and advocating for individual interpretation. This approach stands in contrast to earlier criminological perspectives, such as positivism, which held that an objective truth could be discovered through scientific methods.
For comparison, positivism in sociology adheres to the view that social reality can be observed, measured, and quantified similarly to the natural sciences. Similarly, antipositivism calls for subjectivity and understanding that social phenomena are complex and often cannot be reduced to data or simple explanations. Concepts such as constructivism and conflict theory also contribute to our understanding of social dynamics but from different angles. Constructivism focuses on the cognitive constructs that people create to understand the world around them, while conflict theory views social structures as a competition for limited resources.