Postmodernism

Question 1

What is the postmodernist perspective of crime?

Answer 1

1. Individualism is more important than community
2. Functionalism, marxism and feminism are reductionist and reflective of modern society rather than postmodernist
3. Gap between what the media tells people to expect and what they actually achieve
4. Loss of traditional values as family and religion are in decline
5. Society is diverse so traditional concepts of right and wrong no longer apply
6. Crime is caused by an individuals emotions, emotions and people are irrational
7. Crime is difficult to control due to globalisation, crime is now transitional

Question 2

Henry & Milovanovic
Social Harm

Answer 2

Current definitions of crime are created by one small group of people in society, and therefore irrelevant to most people

The concept of social harm is more useful when analysing whether an action is criminal in contemporary society

2 form of social harm:
1. Harm of Repression - when people cannot develop themselves because those in power restrict their opportunities and identity (postmodernist)
2. Harm of Reduction - when individuals experience loss of injury e.g theft (traditional)

Question 3

Stephen Lyng
Edgework

Answer 3

People enjoy the emotional intensity of danger and fear, so they participate in activities which brings them in close proximity to death

Participation in crime is a form of edge work because of the risk of fear combined with excitement

Question 4

Jack Katz
Seductions of Crime

Answer 4

Criminal acts have an ‘alluring’ quality

Provides thrill, power and status

Gives satisfaction - psychological needs

Question 5

Levin & McDevitt
Psychological & Emotional Reward of Crime

Answer 5

The rewards for violence and theft is as much psychological as it is social and economic

It provides the joy of exhilaration and the thrill of making someone suffer

Question 6

Ulrich Beck
Risk Society in Liquid Modernity

Answer 6

Media focuses on people’s fears so they are continually aware of the risks to their way of life

Media creates hate figures (like migrants) who will steal work

This creates social unrest and hate crime

Question 7

Michel Foucault
Society as a Panopticon

Answer 7

Postmodern society is like a panopticon e.g the monitoring of internet activity

Power is centralised - large number of people are controlled b y very few

Everyone is observed constantly

As society is fragmented, there is less of a role for police

Emphasis is on localised security

Question 8

Jean-Francois Lyotard
Critique of other theories as Meta-Narratives

Answer 8

Reject any notion that meta narratives provided by theories can explain crime

These are reflective of modernist thinking and are therefore outdated

Each criminal act is a unique event and is a product of increased freedom and individual choice