Demystifying Power, Crime and Social Harm


Book Description

This collection revisits Steven Box’s book, Power, Crime and Mystification, published in 1983, and considers its relevance forty years on. It introduces the critical analysis developed by Box which examined corporate crime, police crime, rape and sexual assault and female crime and analyses the continuities and discontinuities since 1983 in relation to crime, the state and the exercise/mystification of power. The book explores the ways in which we can see his influence nationally and internationally on critical criminological, zemiological and abolitionist writings today. It asks how can these perspectives be applied to a critical analysis of contemporary, state authoritarianism and the criminal injustice that this authoritarianism generates? Additionally, how can Box’s concepts shine a critical light on contemporary social harms that were not covered in the original book? The collection provides a toolkit for students and academics to critically analyse the issues around crime/social harm, power/powerlessness, truth/mystification, criminal injustice/social justice as well as historical and contemporary sites of resistance confronting the exercise of state power.




Class, Race, Gender, and Crime


Book Description

Inequality and injustice have long been part of the structure of our society, including law, crime, and the criminal justice system. Class, Race, Gender, and Crime, sixth edition explores the continuing impact of class, race, gender, sexuality, and their intersections – and how the “justice” system can recreate those oppressions. Broken into three parts, the book opens with an overview of the criminal justice-industrial complex and introspection about the biases in criminology. Part II, “Inequality and Privilege,” contains chapters to provide a foundation for understanding class, race, gender and sexuality and intersectionality. Part III, “The Administration of Law and Criminal Justice” covers criminal law, policing, prosecution and courts, and punishment, with headings in each chapter for class, race, gender and sexuality and intersectionality to provide systematic coverage. The text also highlights how immigration (“crimmigration”), child welfare, healthcare, and other systems are intertwined with criminal justice in the lives of different minority populations. Real-world examples of how class, race, and gender and sexuality unfold in sentencing and punishment bring theory to life, while chapter-opening vignettes illustrate key issues, and discussion questions encourage critical thinking. New to This Edition: New and expanded coverage of immigration enforcement highlights its connection to criminal justice and its importance for understanding social control in our society (Chapter 1, Chapter 4, Chapter 8, Chapter 9) Entirely revised Chapter 5, “Understanding Gender/Sexuality and Male/Heterosexual Privilege” offers modern and comprehensive understandings of gender and sexuality, including queer theory and queer criminology, that carries through later chapters Expanded Chapter 8, “Law Enforcement” and expanded Chapter 9, “Prosecution, Plea Bargains and Deportation,” offer new explorations such as policing of abortions and miscarriage, and immigration courts, respectively New conclusion discusses prison abolition, so readers can understand the debate and think for themselves about how deep the need for reform goes




Criminological Connections, Directions, Horizons


Book Description

This timely book presents a carefully curated selection of essays to celebrate the career of Nigel South, Emeritus Professor at the Department of Sociology and Criminology of the University of Essex, and one of the leading figures in his field. Through his long career, still ongoing and flourishing, Nigel has contributed knowledge in many areas of criminological scholarship and challenged the confines of the discipline, opening up new directions for thinking and debate. In this volume, Nigel’s close colleagues and friends celebrate his exceptional career through essays that draw on, or have been inspired by, his earlier or most recent work. Spanning across the areas of policing, drugs, green, southern, and sensory criminology, these essays offer cutting-edge research and fresh conceptual insights honouring the work of an outstanding criminologist, colleague, friend, and human being. This volume will be of pivotal interest to students, scholars, and academics in the fields of sociology and criminology, as well as those with an interest in these areas more generally.




Demystifying ‘Ndrangheta: Challenging the Organized Crime Phenomenon of Calabria


Book Description

This book is focused on demystifying ‘Ndrangheta, which includes unraveling ‘Ndrangheta’s behavioral elements that exploit criminal opportunities through conspiracy, collusion, and corruption, common among most mafia’-type groups, reinforced by ‘mafia-mystique’. The ‘Ndrangheta phenomenon has evolved over time by exploiting critical supporting elements of power present within the cultural, socio-economic, and political environments of Calabria, which in turn perpetuates, protects, and sustains 'Ndrangheta's presence and persistence. A comprehensive and practical anti-/ counter-‘Ndrangheta overarching campaign plan model is presented to assist policy makers, security practitioners, and criminologists in developing a method and a process for taking actions that neutralize essential elements of power and prestige that besides wealth, are primary objectives of ‘Ndrangheta.




State, Power, Crime


Book Description

′Following the outstanding introduction by the authors there are fifteen excellent original articles devoted to an integrated theory of the relationship between the state and crime. This work is on the cutting edge of critical criminology. It is a must read.′ - William J. Chambliss, Professor of Sociology, The George Washington University, USA. ′This book is a superb compilation of original papers by an impressive roster of authors. While the articles cover a wide range of empirical issues, from Northern Ireland and corporate crime to youth crime and heterosexual hegemony they all explore the implications, strategies and mechanisms of state power. There isn′t a weak paper here: all are extensively documented, well written, persuasive and scholarly in the very best sense.′ - Professor Laureen Snider, Queens University, Canada ′State, Power, Crime is a hugely important book for these times. Bringing together some of the most original minds in criminology it offers a critical analysis of the state, how it constructs crime, responds to it and, at times, engages in the very same. The book is essential reading for anyone interested in justice, freedom and equality.′ - Paddy Rawlinson, London School of Economics Featuring contributions by many of the leading scholars in the field, this seminal text explores the key themes and debates on state power today, in relation to crime and social order. It critically evaluates a range of substantive areas of criminological concern, including terrorism, surveillance, violence and the media. State, Power, Crime provides: "historical overviews of key theories about state power " assessment of the relationship between crime, criminal justice and the state " analysis of the development of law and order policy " discussion of the impact of structural fissures such as gender, race and sexuality " an overview of current research and writing " critical reflection on the future direction of research and analysis " advice on further reading. In 1978, with the publication of Hall et al′s Policing the Crisis and Poulantzas′s State, Power, Socialism, the complexity of the state′s interventions in maintaining a capitalist social order were laid bare for critical criminological analysis. State, Power, Crime offers an up-to-date and comprehensive examination of the challenges posed by state power, in relation to both criminal and social justice.




Demystifying Leadership


Book Description

Can leadership lessons be learnt from the Mahabharata? Demystifying Leadership positively asserts that we can and probes inquiry in the lives of six characters-Bhishma, Ashvatthama, Karna, Shakuni, Kunti and Krishna. It studies these characters in inescapable situations as they navigate through life by demonstrating values, decision-making ability, integrity and principles. Within the given constraints, some of these characters swim and rise, while others sink in moral turpitude. Extrapolating these successful and not-so-successful character traits to corporate leaders and linking them to scholarship, the authors provide lessons for leaders and managers operating in diverse situations. Borrowing from different disciplines, such as literature, philosophy, politics and psychology, Demystifying Leadership proposes to link essentials of leadership in the form of a Leadership Triangle comprising six levels: positive personality, peace with personal identity, purpose, positive use of power and politics, paradoxical leadership and principled pragmatism. It takes a grounded approach in amalgamating mythology and leadership through scholarship and practice.




Demystifying Drugs


Book Description

Based on extensive participant observation research, a life-history model is presented to explain why very few of those who come into contact with narcotics become problematic consumers; that is make drugs one of the most central elements in their lives. The model covers four stages in the deviant career; two preceding and two subsequent to the individual's narcotics debut. Prohibition and harm reduction as models for intervention are presented, and the implications for drug policy of the life-history model are discussed.




Demystifying Modern Slavery


Book Description

Who are the perpetrators of modern slavery? Why do they exploit others? What might be done to stop exploitation recurring? These are the questions answered in this book. Reporting on the first primary study of modern slavery offenders, the book depicts the findings of in-depth interviews with people accused of, and convicted for, committing modern slavery offences. The different forms that modern slavery takes are explained chapter by chapter: organized crime, people smuggling, labour exploitation, domestic servitude, sham marriage, the trafficking of adults for sexual exploitation and child sex trafficking. Using case studies to illuminate the perspectives of those deemed perpetrators, we show that few modern slavery offenders conform to stereotypes of people traffickers. Through an interpretive analysis of offenders’ life stories, we reveal the points in the past and present where interventions could have prevented victims from becoming trapped in exploitation. We show that while national governments and international bodies often appear resolute in their efforts to tackle modern slavery and people trafficking, they have also obscured their own roles in compounding the plights of those at the sharp ends of globalization. In racializing the actions of sex traffickers, grooming gangs, and organized criminals, the modern slavery agenda has mystified the roles market dynamics, the absence of workers’ rights, and immigration controls play in generating vulnerabilities to exploitation. This book will be of interest to a wide range of students, policymakers and practitioners concerned with modern slavery, human trafficking, border control and immigration, globalization and inequality, as well as the more disciplinefocused criminological audiences concerned with why people commit crimes, what should be done about them and the, often paradoxical, consequences of social control across borders. Given the book’s strong focus on narrative, psychosocial and social network methodologies, it will also appeal to audiences across the social sciences concerned with applying these novel approaches to difficult to reach populations.




The Organisation of Crime and Harm in the Construction Industry


Book Description

Drawing on empirical work and secondary analysis from the UK and Finnish construction industries, this book contributes a deep-rooted analysis of construction industry harms that originate from corporate-industrialstate processes. The UK context arguably represents a classic ‘neoliberal’ system categorised by privatisation of services and minimal regulation, whereas Finland broadly provides a ‘social democratic’ alternative with its relatively strong national regulation and public sector oversight of industry. These concepts interlink strongly with the notion of state-corporate crime, since this perspective shifts attention away from individualistic explanations for crime and harm towards symbiosis between states and corporations. This book argues that existing explanations based on organised crime and individual ‘rogues’ are insufficient to account for the wider range and subtlety of harms that occur in construction, and therefore offers a unique perspective into organisational, industry, and state dynamics in this sector. An accessible and compelling read, this book will appeal to students and scholars of criminology, sociology, organized crime, and those interested in harms in the construction industry.




Demystifying Crime and Criminal Justice


Book Description

Bohm and Walker?s thought-provoking volume addresses many of the American public?s misconceptions about crime and criminal justice. These understandings are often inaccurate and based on myths. Each of this anthology?s 27 chapters demystifies or debunks one of these current myths, setting the record straight.DEMYSTIFYING CRIME AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE is organized to follow a logical progression through the criminal justice process. Part One addresses myths about crime; Part Two examines myths about law enforcement; Part Three investigates myths about the administration of justice; and Part Four focuses on myths about punishment and corrections.A unique feature of the book is that every chapter follows the same format. Each chapter opens with a brief section introducing a myth or a set of myths about a particular topic. Next follows the ?Kernel of Truth? section, which identifies accurate aspects of the myth or myths. The authors assume that for myths to be believable and accepted, they usually must contain at least a kernel of truth. In the third section, ?The Truth or Facts,? the authors debunk the myth or myths by providing evidence. This is followed by ?Interests Served by the Myth,? which illuminates how the interests of specific individuals or groups are promoted by the creation and perpetuation of the myth or myths. Finally, ?Policy Implications of Belief in the Myth? highlights some of the practical and often undesirable consequences of belief in the myth or myths.Written in clear, accessible language, DEMYSTIFYING CRIME AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE engages the reader with straightforward analysis, cutting-edge information, and research. Designed to stimulate critical thinking and class discussion, this mindset-challenging volume offers students a deeper understanding of crime and criminal justice.