Postmodernism + crime

• Overview

  • Postmodernism + late modernism explain how/why the nature/extent of crime has changed with the beginning of postmodernity
• Key social changes of the postmodern society

  • Rise of consumerism
  • Globalisation + increasing uncertainty
  • Living in a media-saturated society celebrating celebrity culture
  • Increase in individual freedom + cultural diversity
  • Changes to technology
• Jock Young - Late modernity, exclusion + crime

  • 1950s was the 'golden age' of full employment, cultural inclusion + low crime
  • But today, de-industrialisation has lead to low employment, instability, high crime
  • Economic exclusion combined with pressure to consume or be celebrity-like results in anomie
  • Crime is a means of coping with anomie, allows us to escape
  • Which means crime becomes more spread out + nastier
• Edgework - Katz + Lyng

  • Criticises rational choice theory - crime isn't always rational, it can be done for emotional reasons
  • Crime is about 'edgework' - going to the edge of boundaries of what's acceptable for the thrill
  • (Beck) edgework is part of living in a risk society
• Winlow - Violent night

  • Researched young WC men in northern cities who regularly engaged in binge-drinking + violence
  • Found their jobs were low-status, offered them no sense of identity
  • Binge-drinking was a way to escape the boredom + low-status work
  • Fighting gained them status but also brought excitement
• Strengths of postmodern perspective of crime

  • Recognises the fact that there's been an increase in relative deprivation
  • Applies to many different types of deviance + crimes
• Criticisms of postmodern perspective

  • Hate crimes might not actually be increasing - we may just be more sensitive to it
  • Doesn't explain non-status crimes well like DV or rape
  • Doesn't account for why crime has fallen in recent years
  • Doesn't explain why binge drinking or drug use are in decline now