Lush Life: Constructing Organized Crime in the UK - Couverture rigide

Hobbs, Dick

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 0199668280 ISBN 13 : 9780199668281

Editeur : Oxford University Press, 2013

Synopsis

Lush Life: Constructing Organized Crime in the UK opens 'the box marked do not open, too difficult to deal with', in the words of one Assistant Chief Constable, to explore the contested notion of British organized crime. The first book to trace the history and policing of British organized crime, it addresses how the interlocking processes of de-industrialisation, globalisation and neo-liberalism have normalised activity that was previously the exclusive domain of professional criminals. With both historical and sociological analyses, informed by the author's long term connection to an ethnographic site called 'Dogtown', a composite of several overlapping neighbourhoods in East London, this book critically addresses cliches such as criminal underworlds and the notion of the criminal firm. It considers the precursors to British organized crime, as well as the careers of famous crime families such as the Krays and the Richardsons, alongside the emergence of specialised law enforcement institutions to deal with this newly discovered threat. It also focuses on the various ways in which violence functions within organised crime, the role of rumour in formulating order within crime networks, the social construction of organised crime, the development of the cosmopolitan criminal and the all-inclusive nature of the contemporary criminal community of practice. Permeating throughout is a discussion of the flexible nature of the criminal market, the constructed nature of the notion of organised crime, and the normalisation of criminality. Underpinned by rich, context-specific examples, case studies, stories, and other qualitative evidence based on ethnographic research and interviews, Lush Life follows on from the author's work on normal crime (Doing the Business), and professional crime (Bad Business).

A propos du livre

Revue de presse :

This is an intense, serious, theoretically engaging and timely book whose empirical veracity introduces the reader to a convincing series of interlocking narratives that would do justice to a thriller. The scholarly breadth and ambition of this book alone makes it exceptional (Rob Hornsby, Trends in Organized Crime)

iLush Lifer is simply an absolute belter of a book, the sort of criminology that really should be read by everyone with an interest in the realities of contemporary crime in Britain. It is another instant classic. (James Treadwell, The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice)

This text is by far the most insightful, accurate and intelligent account of organized or serious crime in the UK in recent times. It should be required reading not just for those of us who are researching aspects of serious crime, but also for those interested in sociology, criminology or the intersection of neoliberal capitalism and social class generally. (Brendan Marsh, Criminology & Criminal Justice)

The book is not only theoretically original but also empirically so. (Dr. Daniel Silverstone, Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Books Reviews)

Within the literature of organised crime this is undoubtedly an important book. It reminds us that while we may think we know plenty about organised crime, we actually know very little of a world that is all around us and to which we are all, in some way, connected. And finally, the joke that opens the book is almost worth the cover price alone. (Tim Hall, Times Higher Education)

Professor Dick Hobbs' new book is a most interesting read and I read it from cover to cover in one sitting. This bookwill be popular, not only with criminal lawyers and criminologists, but with the general public who have had a longstanding fascination with sensational crimes and the criminals who commit these crimesincludes important appendices of the case studies from which the author's conclusions were extracted, which together with an impressive bibliography, makes this an important addition to the criminal law library. (Sally Ramage, The Criminal Lawyer)

Acutely observed, lucid, funny and always pointed, Dick Hobbs has unpicked the category of organised crime and re-written it as a demystified history of working class life. Lush Life is a classic. (Paul Gilroy, Professor of American and English Literature, Department of English Language and Literature, King's College London)

Giving us the central concept cosmopolitan criminal I read Dick Hobbs book in the same breath as a thriller. Lush Life combines in-depth knowledge, thorough analysis, great storytelling and inspiring vision. In short: social science at its cosmopolitan best. (Ulrich Beck, Professor of Sociology, University of Munich)

Anyone familiar with Hobbs' works is aware of the wit and artistry of his writing style. In his usual fashion he offers a charming account of a diverse set of entrepreneurs, their zenith and nadir, the fluidity and mutative character of their associations, and the complexity of their actions, criminal career trajectories and motivations. The author is at his best when balancing wonderful narrative mechanics, humorous anecdotes, interesting specifics, punctilious descriptions and the voices of many from the pantheon of his researchs protagonists. (Georgios A. Antonopoulos, Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice)

The importance of this book as a contemporaneous ethnographic study of the construction of organized crime should not be underestimated, it ranks among the classical 'top-drawer' empirical studies of criminality. (Rob Hornsby, Trends in Organized Crime)

Biographie de l'auteur :

Dick Hobbs is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Criminology Centre at the University of Essex, and Professor of Sociology at the University of Western Sydney. He previously held Chairs at the University of Durham and the London School of Economics. An ethnographer by trade, he is sceptical of the rise of criminology and has published widely on the sociologies of deviance, of East London, organized and professional crime, the night-time economy and the 2012 Olympics. His previous publications include Doing the Business (Oxford, 1988), Bad Business (Oxford, 1995), and Bouncers (Oxford, 2003 with Philip Hadfield, Stuart Lister and Simon Winlow). He is currently working on a number of publications based upon the 2012 London Olympics.

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: Oxford University Press
• Date d'édition: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0199668280
• ISBN 13: 9780199668281
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 328