(7) Visual Criminology and Prison in Cinema

Question 1

What is the aim of visual criminology?

Answer 1

to unmask fake myths and discover and reveal power relationships that are intrinsic to social dynamics

Question 2

What creates symbolic interactionsim?

Answer 2

images x crime! how do we use the act of looking in our favour to avoid crime

Question 3

creators of images have what sort of power?

Answer 3

hegemonic power

Question 4

Critical and cultural criminology looks for meaning of crime and its control in how

Answer 4

symbols are exhibited and cultural issues represented/interpreted

Question 5

what does counter visuality do?

Answer 5

give opportunities to underrepresented characters in media

(Ocean 11 buying perfume is not CV!)

Question 6

what is the triangle of violence?

Answer 6

direct, structural and cultural violence

Question 7

implications of prison cinema

Answer 7

films create meaning and frame reality about prisons –> represent violence and depict who is a criminal (there’s a massive over-representation of violence, there’s more to that in prison life)

creation of identifies, officers as tough/corrupt

Question 8

what has been the impact of prison cinema in terms of structural violence?

Answer 8

it legitimises prisons as a natural and necessary institution

Question 9

implications of prison cinema

Answer 9

It constructs people’s imaginary of prison life.

It represents an exercise of cultural violence since it legitimizes acts of directs and structural violence and it stigmatizes and misrepresents numerous collectives.

It creates entry shock for inmates and prison officers, influencing their behaviour during the first weeks.

It completely stigmatizes inmates and officers.