Cultural criminology - postmodern view
09 March 2021 10:02
Cultural Criminology
- Brings a postmodern view to an understanding of delinquent subcultures, seeing them as expressions of
identity, resistance and power struggle. expressions of identity, resistance and power struggle.
- Ferrell (1999) - cultural criminology - 'energy of everyday life': crime - a result of anger, humiliation, - 'energy of everyday life' - result of anger
exuberance, excitement and fear rather than a rational decision-making process - Katz - social characteristics
- Katz (1988)- social characteristics - class, ethnicity, gender etc - fail to take into account the ways people are -
drawn and propelled into crime - many that fit the social characteristics are not drawn into crime.
- ^- we must understand its - what makes a person give into crime.
- E.G. - physical fight may be nothing more than a show of toughness.
- Crime - presented as having quite selfish and individualistic motivations.
- Lyng (2005) -risk-taking behaviour - 'edgework'. - refers to - exploring edges - exist along cultural boundaries &
undertaking activities which push those boundaries.
- Edgework - lyng - leads to fear, intense emotions, anxiety, exhilaration - mastering these leads to a sense of
control & accomplishment.
- Edgework - escape from constraints of modern society. - coping functioning in an increasingly complex
postmodern society. Linked to katz seductions of crime
- Media and state reactions to deviance E.G. 'criminalisation' of subcultures - like the moral panic of mods and
rockers - public outrage by punk and glam rock
- The media influences our perceptions of crime Young - 'bulimic society' - deviance as an expression of missing
- Young (2003) - working class deviance - transgression, rebellion -- risk-taking, anger & frustration. out
- ^- 'bulimic society' & ''systematically excluded from its realisation' - 'intensity of exclusion' felt by underclass.
○ Feelings of relative deprivation - resentment & humiliation
○ 'anomie'
○ Sees deviance as an expression of exclusion and a desire for inclusion.
- Nightingale (1993) - 'paradox of inclusion' - experienced by young black youths who turned to deviance to
achieve the goals of mainstream society.
-
Study - Cultural criminology and the carnival of crime, Mike Presdee (2002)
- Carnival - in a postmodern society is a constant need and people live for the next opportunity to transgress Mike Presdee-
- 'creeping criminalisation of everyday life' provokes even more transgression Opportunity to transgress, 'creeping criminalisation of everyday life'
- E.g. Oxford joyriding - stealing and racing cars became a regular ritual - events purely for pleasure, thrill & - 'carnival' = 'let off steam'
excitement - stealing & driving gained them status - risk and danger added thrill.
1. Presdee's idea of 'carnival' being a constant need for society and allowing people to 'let off steam' and live for
the next opportunity links to functionalism. His ideas about those in power continually trying to criminalise or
sanitise expressions of resistance through activities which cannot be stamped out by use of law is linked to
Marxists ideas that the ruling class and those in power abuse laws as they think that they're too elite and that
the laws do not apply to them.
2. The growth of a music festival allows people 'let off steam' and transgress.
09 March 2021 10:02
Cultural Criminology
- Brings a postmodern view to an understanding of delinquent subcultures, seeing them as expressions of
identity, resistance and power struggle. expressions of identity, resistance and power struggle.
- Ferrell (1999) - cultural criminology - 'energy of everyday life': crime - a result of anger, humiliation, - 'energy of everyday life' - result of anger
exuberance, excitement and fear rather than a rational decision-making process - Katz - social characteristics
- Katz (1988)- social characteristics - class, ethnicity, gender etc - fail to take into account the ways people are -
drawn and propelled into crime - many that fit the social characteristics are not drawn into crime.
- ^- we must understand its - what makes a person give into crime.
- E.G. - physical fight may be nothing more than a show of toughness.
- Crime - presented as having quite selfish and individualistic motivations.
- Lyng (2005) -risk-taking behaviour - 'edgework'. - refers to - exploring edges - exist along cultural boundaries &
undertaking activities which push those boundaries.
- Edgework - lyng - leads to fear, intense emotions, anxiety, exhilaration - mastering these leads to a sense of
control & accomplishment.
- Edgework - escape from constraints of modern society. - coping functioning in an increasingly complex
postmodern society. Linked to katz seductions of crime
- Media and state reactions to deviance E.G. 'criminalisation' of subcultures - like the moral panic of mods and
rockers - public outrage by punk and glam rock
- The media influences our perceptions of crime Young - 'bulimic society' - deviance as an expression of missing
- Young (2003) - working class deviance - transgression, rebellion -- risk-taking, anger & frustration. out
- ^- 'bulimic society' & ''systematically excluded from its realisation' - 'intensity of exclusion' felt by underclass.
○ Feelings of relative deprivation - resentment & humiliation
○ 'anomie'
○ Sees deviance as an expression of exclusion and a desire for inclusion.
- Nightingale (1993) - 'paradox of inclusion' - experienced by young black youths who turned to deviance to
achieve the goals of mainstream society.
-
Study - Cultural criminology and the carnival of crime, Mike Presdee (2002)
- Carnival - in a postmodern society is a constant need and people live for the next opportunity to transgress Mike Presdee-
- 'creeping criminalisation of everyday life' provokes even more transgression Opportunity to transgress, 'creeping criminalisation of everyday life'
- E.g. Oxford joyriding - stealing and racing cars became a regular ritual - events purely for pleasure, thrill & - 'carnival' = 'let off steam'
excitement - stealing & driving gained them status - risk and danger added thrill.
1. Presdee's idea of 'carnival' being a constant need for society and allowing people to 'let off steam' and live for
the next opportunity links to functionalism. His ideas about those in power continually trying to criminalise or
sanitise expressions of resistance through activities which cannot be stamped out by use of law is linked to
Marxists ideas that the ruling class and those in power abuse laws as they think that they're too elite and that
the laws do not apply to them.
2. The growth of a music festival allows people 'let off steam' and transgress.
