Susanne Karstedt

Respectable Citizens - Shady Practices seeks to explore a previously neglected aspect of crime in modern society - namely those crimes that are committed by otherwise 'respectable' citizens in the market arena. The book delves into the 'grey zone' where illegal, unfair, unethical, and 'shady' practices coalesce: from the retailers who see themselves as victims of customers who take unfair and often illegal advantage of generous offers, to the consumers sold 'useless' insurance and financial packages and 'defrauded' by 'small print' clauses.The authors outline the contours of the contemporary moral economy, driven and shaped by technological innovation as much as new economic policies, and ask, is a 'predatory society' emerging from the central sphere of consumption?

This collection spans two decades of cutting-edge thinking on globalization and crime. The selected articles confront criminological with interdisciplinary perspectives from sociology, political science and economics, and demonstrate how globalization has changed manifestations of crime and decisively re-shaped the criminological imagination as well as criminology’s theories, concepts and methodologies. The specially written introduction provides an innovative framework for insights into the manifestations of globalising crime, such as urban development in Mumbai, human rights talk of Brazilian gangs, gemstone mining in Madagascar, and the ’crimes of exclusion’ in the US and Darfur. This volume is ideal for both lecturers and students as it brings together influential foundational writings with in-depth studies from the best authors in the field and from all parts of the world.

This collection spans two decades of cutting-edge thinking on globalization and crime. The selected articles confront criminological with interdisciplinary perspectives from sociology, political science and economics, and demonstrate how globalization has changed manifestations of crime and decisively re-shaped the criminological imagination as well as criminology’s theories, concepts and methodologies. The specially written introduction provides an innovative framework for insights into the manifestations of globalising crime, such as urban development in Mumbai, human rights talk of Brazilian gangs, gemstone mining in Madagascar, and the ’crimes of exclusion’ in the US and Darfur. This volume is ideal for both lecturers and students as it brings together influential foundational writings with in-depth studies from the best authors in the field and from all parts of the world.

As a growing number of nations embark on a path to democracy, criminologists have become increasingly interested and engaged in the challenges, concerns, and questions connecting democracy with both crime and criminal justice. Rising levels of violence and street crime, white collar crime and corruption both in countries where democracy is securely in place and where it is struggling, have fuelled a deepening skepticism as to the capacity of democracy to deliver on its promise of security and justice for all citizens. What role does crime and criminal justice play in the future of democracy and for democratic political development on a global level? The editors of this special volume of The Annals realized the importance of collecting research from a broad spectrum of countries and covering a range of problems that affect citizens, politicians, and criminal justice officials. The articles here represent a solid balance between mature democracies like the U.S. and U.K. as well as emerging democracies around the globe - specifically in Latin America, Africa and Eastern Europe. They are based on large and small cross-national samples, regional comparisons, and case studies. Each contribution addresses a seminal question for the future of democratic political development across the globe. What is the role of criminal justice in the process of building democracy and instilling confidence in its institutions? Is there a role for unions in democratizing police forces? What is the impact of widespread disenfranchisement of felons on democratic citizenship and the life of democratic institutions? Under what circumstances do mature democracies adopt punitive sentencing regimes? Addressing sensitive topics such as relations between police and the Muslim communities of Western Europe in the wake of terrorist attacks, this volume also sheds light on the effects of terrorism on mature democracies under increasing pressure to provide security for their citizens. By taking a broad vantage point, this collection of research delves into complex topics such as the relationship between the process of democratization and violent crime waves; the impact of rising crime rates on newly established as well as secure democracies; how crime may endanger the transition to democracy; and how existing practices of criminal justice in mature democracies affect their core values and institutions. The collection of these insightful articles not only begins to fill a gap in criminological research but also addresses issues of critical interest to political scientists as well as other social and behavioral scientists and scholars. Taking a fresh approach to the intersection of crime, criminal justice, and democracy, this volume of The Annals is a must-read for criminologists and political scientists and provides a solid foundation for further interdisciplinary research.

As a growing number of nations embark on a path to democracy, criminologists have become increasingly interested and engaged in the challenges, concerns, and questions connecting democracy with both crime and criminal justice. Rising levels of violence and street crime, white collar crime and corruption both in countries where democracy is securely in place and where it is struggling, have fuelled a deepening skepticism as to the capacity of democracy to deliver on its promise of security and justice for all citizens. What role does crime and criminal justice play in the future of democracy and for democratic political development on a global level? The editors of this special volume of The Annals realized the importance of collecting research from a broad spectrum of countries and covering a range of problems that affect citizens, politicians, and criminal justice officials. The articles here represent a solid balance between mature democracies like the U.S. and U.K. as well as emerging democracies around the globe - specifically in Latin America, Africa and Eastern Europe. They are based on large and small cross-national samples, regional comparisons, and case studies. Each contribution addresses a seminal question for the future of democratic political development across the globe. What is the role of criminal justice in the process of building democracy and instilling confidence in its institutions? Is there a role for unions in democratizing police forces? What is the impact of widespread disenfranchisement of felons on democratic citizenship and the life of democratic institutions? Under what circumstances do mature democracies adopt punitive sentencing regimes? Addressing sensitive topics such as relations between police and the Muslim communities of Western Europe in the wake of terrorist attacks, this volume also sheds light on the effects of terrorism on mature democracies under increasing pressure to provide security for their citizens. By taking a broad vantage point, this collection of research delves into complex topics such as the relationship between the process of democratization and violent crime waves; the impact of rising crime rates on newly established as well as secure democracies; how crime may endanger the transition to democracy; and how existing practices of criminal justice in mature democracies affect their core values and institutions. The collection of these insightful articles not only begins to fill a gap in criminological research but also addresses issues of critical interest to political scientists as well as other social and behavioral scientists and scholars. Taking a fresh approach to the intersection of crime, criminal justice, and democracy, this volume of The Annals is a must-read for criminologists and political scientists and provides a solid foundation for further interdisciplinary research.

Wenn die sonst gesetzestreuen Burger in grosser Zahl Gesetze ubertreten, stellt sich die Frage nach der Wirksamkeit von (Straf-)Gesetzen und Sanktionsandrohungen besonders eindringlich. Die -Kavaliers-- und Massendelinquenz im Verkehr und speziell das Fahren unter Alkoholeinfluss gelten unter Gesichtspunkten rechtspolitischer Steuerung als Bereich, in dem generalpraventive Effekte erzielt werden konnen, nicht zuletzt deshalb, weil man hier den grundsatzlich -rationalen Akteur- vermutet, der sein Verhalten nach dem Kalkul von Straf-Kosten und Delikt-Nutzen ausrichtet. Die vorliegende Studie untersucht, wieweit die spezifische Situation des Verkehrsgeschehens solche Kalkule tatsachlich zum Tragen kommen lasst, welche Einflusse auf die Entscheidung aus der typischen Konsumsituation resultieren und in welchem Mass demgegenuber -moralische Vorentscheidungen- und Normbindungen das Verhalten im Konflikt -Trinken und Fahren- bestimmen. Die Ergebnisse einer Vielzahl empirischer Studien werden herangezogen, wobei eine reprasentative Befragung von Bundesburgern im Mittelpunkt steht. Theorie und Empirie legen den Schluss nahe, dass die -Grenzen der Generalpravention- im Strassenverkehr so eng gesteckt sind wie im Bereich der klassischen Kriminalitat."