Post Modernist Theory of crime

Outline of theory

Postmodernists state that society is entering a new period of post modernity which is characterised by fragmentation, social groups are less important as people are free to create their own identity. The media is a key influence on peoples individualism.
Postmodernists are a micro scale sociological view and reject general overarching theories such as functionalism, as they believe society is constantly evolving, crimes are individual and committed by individuals so should be looked at individually. They suggest policing needs to adapt to this change and that current policing reflects modern institutions that are designed to ensure central control.

Postmodernists say it is necessary to go beyond narrow legal definitions of crime and develop a wider conception of crime based on respect for peoples chosen lifestyles and identities. They suggest the main cause of crime is people focus on themselves and have little regard for others, the group mentality is not strong. Each crime is a one off event of an expression of an individuals choice motivated by an infinite number of individual causes such as emotion. Contemporary societies use surveillance of some kind to control everyone whether it be by actual cctv or imposing the thought of being watched that forces people to behave for example the Panoptical prison.

Postmodernists have some similarities to Marxism as they see modern institutions and surveillance as means of controlling the population similar to the elite control of the proletariat. They could be similar to functionalism as they acknowledge the fact not everyone has norms and values and some individuals will reject these goals (merton) and commit crime. Lastly they could be similar to interactionism as they are a micro scale approach and look at individuals.

Theorists

Levin & McDevitt “the reward for violence and theft is as much psychological as it is social, it provides joy and thrill from making someone suffer”

Fenwick  “thrilling activities provide an escape from the dull routine, people may turn to crime to experience feelings of self-realisation and self-expression”

Foucault – argued surveillance increase through gated communities, consumer tracking, cctv etc make people into consumers and customers rather than individuals. He was interested in how power was imposed through using discourse. Discourses are ideas and language supported and developed by institutions in power such as a medical professional.

 Surveillance can come in the form of CCTV, policing, GPS, internet monitoring, phone hacking, school etc. Increasing control of crime has occurred as asbo’s and tags are ways of controlling offenders, the development of technology has revolutionalised the way crimes are controlled, surveillance, internet monitoring, electronic files of offenders finger prints and faces.

Punishment

Public punishment may be a thing of the past in Britain such as public hangings however in some middle eastern countries the increase in technology provides a continuation of public punishment such as broadcasting the chopping off of an offenders hand to deter others. The main reason for punishment it could be argued is deterrence, it prevents others from offending and allows the modern institution to provide protection for society against offenders.

Social Control – with the increase of surveillance everyone not just criminals are constantly being watched and monitored so much so people practice self-surveillance and monitor themselves to not break rules.

Like the fragmentation of society, the means of control have become more localised and spread out like the introduction of community police officers and increased private security such as gated communities, shopping centre policed by door men.
Social control in post-modern societies is achieved through seduction to consumerism and repression of those who do not share the consumer society.