Criminology and consumerism

Young people’s conceptions of trust and confidence in the crime control system: Differences between public and private policing

“…This research contributes to the existing literature of procedural justice by studying how young people formulate their perceptions of trust and confidence in the crime control system. Furthermore, because current research in criminology has largely neglected issues related to privatization of policing, and research on private security has largely ignored the targets of policing (see, for example, White, 2012; Winlow and Hall, 2016; Zedner, 2009), this study provides new information on the private security sector’s ability to legitimize their status in the eyes of the public. Similar to this research, prior procedural justice research stresses the importance of fair treatment (e.g.…”

“…The findings suggested that young people may experience difficulties in using city spaces (see also Von Hirsch and Shearing, 2000; Wakefield, 2003). It has been suggested that citizens’ rights to use city spaces are increasingly based on being a consumer, and although young people are a part of consumer cultures, they usually have fewer possibilities to consume than adults (Atkinson, 2003; Winlow and Hall, 2016). This might result in exclusion of young people from quasi-public city spaces.…”

Technology-Facilitated Domestic Abuse in Political Economy: A New Theoretical Framework

“…In justifying their actions, abusers drew upon common tropes of romantic love, where their perceptions and wants were prioritised via their heteronormative status as the dominant partner (Horley, 2017;Monckton-Smith, 2012). Male abusers embody insecure neoliberal subjectivity (Winlow and Hall, 2017), drawing upon proprietorial historical conventions of the femme covert (Monckton-Smith, 2010) to tackle the threat to the masculine self that women's increasing economic independence, cultural autonomy and formal equality represent. However, new 'flexible' labour markets, far from liberating women from the 'family wage' and enhancing their economic independence have further disadvantaged them given their disproportionate representation in the gig economy of zero hours contracts and part time work (Fraser, 2013), further fostering dependency within traditional models of patriarchal authority.…”

Enlightened hedonism? Independent drug checking amongst a group of ecstasy users.

“…Consequently, in the new spirit of 'cultural capitalism', people buy experiences and lifestyles that are entwined with the cultural injunction to enjoy, just not too much (Žižek, 2002). Dangerousness has been removed as consumers buy into fantastical, risk-free products that promise healthier, more ethical lifestyles/experiences -authentic fulfilment and self-realisation -which also relieve anxiety, reduce fear and promote happiness, supposedly (Ayres, 2019b;Winlow & Hall, 2016;Žižek, 1989). Removing these malevolent dangers has become an investment of biopolitics (Žižek, 2003) at a time where the protection of human life is paramount and fear dominates (Žižek, 2008).…”

“…It is here drug testing kits play on the drug users desire promising to 'assuage the anxieties that gnaw away at us from within' (Winlow & Hall, 2016: 4), illustrating how ideology works. Instead, 'as long as desire remains within the channels that capitalism provides…there is no possibility for satisfaction, just a false happiness that serves as…profound dissatisfaction' (McGowen, 2016: 9), which perpetuates further desire and consumption that is necessary to drive capitalism forward (Winlow and Hall, 2016;Žižek, 1997).…”