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Spectacle of Crime in the 'New' South Africa: A Historical Perspective (1976-2004)

NCJ Number
230044
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 50 Issue: 2 Dated: March 2010 Pages: 165-184
Author(s)
Gail Super
Date Published
March 2010
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This article is concerned with the spectacle of crime in the 'new' South Africa; it offers a sociological explanation for why crime plays such an important role in governance in South Africa.
Abstract
The article identifies both continuities and shifts between the 'old' and 'new' techniques of rule, showing how the very construction of crime and controversies about measuring it are constituted by and constitutive of power relations within society. The interconnected themes that are addressed are the changing relationship between crime and politics as the African National Congress went from being a resistance organization to governing party and the changing relationship between crime and race. The period that the research covers is from 1976 to 2004. References (Published Abstract)