3.1 perspectives on crime and deviance - postmodernism

Question 1

What do Henry and Milovanic (1996) argue about harm?

Answer 1

there are harms of reduction and harms of repression

Question 2

What is meant by harms of reduction?

Answer 2

• power used to cause immediate loss/injury

Question 3

What is meant by harms of repression?

Answer 3

• power used to restrict future human development e.g. sexual harassment, hate crimes, restricting someone’s sexuality, abuse due to a person’s religion or ethnicity

Question 4

What do Katz and Lung argue about edgework?

Answer 4

• crimes can be seductive and give pleasure
• crimes can be a way of people exploring and constructing their identities e.g. taking drugs
• can appeal to all, even MC, may be more likely to appeal to the young and can be a way of expressing masculinity for young WC men

Question 5

How has policing changed in a postmodern society?

Answer 5

• more surveillance - CCTV, number plate recognition, thumb print identification
• use of internet
• facebook/twitter used by the police
• use of profiling i.e. at airports
• use of private security companies
• gated communities

Question 6

What are some strengths of the postmodernist perspective on crime?

Answer 6

• offers explanations for crime with no material benefit
• covers the idea of ‘harm’ caused which had not really been looked at before

Question 7

What are some weaknesses of the postmodernist perspective of crime?

Answer 7

• doesn’t explain why some people use their power to cause harm to others
• doesn’t link the ‘seductive’ aspects od consumerism with capitalism
• doesn’t recognise that most people will have a strong sense of right and wrong
• offers no practical solutions for crime