Abstract
![CDATA[This chapter proposes a theory of social capital to explain how declining trust in modern societies can explain individual fears about and public outrage against offensive behaviour. The argument is that low social capital in young men produces offensive behaviour, which I shall define as any action, and typically non-instrumental action, that is undertaken to cause symbolic affront to the community. By ‘non-instrumental’ I mean that such actions are not necessarily designed to satisfy the material interests of the young offenders, such as stealing cars or shoplifting, but to satisfy their psychological sense of frustration and alienation. Hence offensive behaviour may involve vandalism rather than simple theft. Such behaviour is intimidating to members of social groups who themselves have low social capital, and feel marginalised and powerless, for example the isolated elderly in inner-city public housing. Because government policy is often driven by concerns expressed in focus groups, ministers responsible for the enforcement of law and order respond with policies that target offenders in an attempt to offer the public a sense of symbolic vindication – such as the use of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders. In turn, these governmental responses, which are often themselves quite severe, tend further to alienate and isolate youth groups, who may well respond by increasing their offensive behaviour. There is a well established theory in the sociology of deviance, namely labelling theory, which argues that policing and other forms of law enforcement can reinforce social stereotypes of young offenders, resulting in further social exclusion and the amplification of their deviant behaviour (Becker, 1963). My theory of social capital therefore describes a spiral of increasingly offensive non-instrumental activity in the community, the high level of fear among disadvantaged sections of the elderly population, and the further amplification of anti-social behaviour.]]
Original language | English |
---|---|
Title of host publication | Incivilities : Regulating Offensive Behaviour |
Editors | Andrew Von Hirsch, A. P. Simester |
Place of Publication | U.K. |
Publisher | Hart |
Pages | 219-238 |
Number of pages | 20 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781841134994 |
Publication status | Published - 2006 |
Keywords
- social capital (sociology)
- disorderly conduct