Beyond the austerity-driven hypothesis: Political economic theses on penality and the recent prison population decline

2021 ◽  
pp. 147737082110006
Author(s):  
José A. Brandariz
Keyword(s):  
Prison Population ◽  
Population Decline ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
The Past ◽  
Economic Forces ◽  
Global North ◽  
Economic Perspectives ◽  
Political Economic ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Spending Cuts

In what might be called the ‘austerity-driven hypothesis’, a consistent strand of literature has sought to explain the prison downsizing witnessed in many jurisdictions of the global north over the past decade by referring to the financial crisis of the late 2000s to early 2010s and its effects in terms of public spending cuts. Since this economic phase is essentially over, whereas the (moderate) decarceration turn is still ongoing, there are good reasons to challenge this hypothesis. This article delves into the non-economic forces that are fostering a prison population decline that, 10 years on, is becoming the new ‘penal normal’. The article thereby aims to spark a dialogue not only with the scholarship exploring the prison downsizing but also with certain theoretical frameworks that have played a key role in examining the punitive turn era. Additionally, the article contributes to the conversation on the need to reframe materialist readings on penality in a ‘non-reductionist’ fashion. By revisiting heterodox theses and scrutinizing the impact of recent penal changes on traditional materialist accounts, the article joins the collective endeavour seeking to update political economic perspectives on punishment and the penal field.

Greening the Gulag: Austerity, neoliberalism, and the making of the “green prisoner”

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 1120-1136
Author(s):  
B Jewell Bohlinger
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Prison Population ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Mass Incarceration ◽  
The United States ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
The Past ◽  
Cost Cutting ◽  
Important Challenge ◽  
The Impact

Over the past 30 years the U.S. prison population has exploded. With the impact of climate change already here, we are also seeing new critiques of mass incarceration emerge, namely their environmental impact. In response to these burgeoning critiques as well as calls to action by the Justice Department to implement more sustainable and cost-effective strategies in prisons, the United States is experiencing a surge in prison sustainability programs throughout the country. Although sustainability is an important challenge facing the world, this paper argues that while “greening” programs seem like attempts to reform current methods of imprisonment, sustainability programming is an extension of the neoliberalization of incarceration in the United States. By emphasizing cost cutting while individualizing rehabilitation, prisons mobilize sustainability programming to produce “green prisoners” who are willing to take responsibility for their rehabilitation and diminish their economically burdensome behaviors (i.e. excessive wastefulness). Using semi-structure journals and interviews at three Oregon prisons, this paper investigates these ideas through the lens of the Sustainability in Prisons Project.

scholarly journals Media Economics

Communication ◽  
2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Randal Beam
Keyword(s):  
Mass Media ◽  
Government Regulation ◽  
Media Content ◽  
Media Economics ◽  
Macroeconomic Theory ◽  
Economic Forces ◽  
Television Film ◽  
Media Organizations ◽  
Economic Perspectives ◽  
Political Economic

Scholarship on media economics applies economic principles and theories to the study of organizations and industries engaged in communication. The traditional mass media—newspapers, television, film, magazines, books, and radio—have been the focus of much of the scholarship that media economists have produced. But the field also encompasses telecommunications and digital communications, along with associated industries such as advertising. Scholarship draws from microeconomic and macroeconomic theory, and much of it is informed by political-economic perspectives. Often the goal of media economists is to explain how economic forces shape media content, such as news and entertainment. Research has identified the structure of markets and the conduct of media organizations as two important factors that influence content. Ownership of media organizations and government regulation are other important domains of study.

Introduction

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camille Deprez ◽  
Judith Pernin
Keyword(s):  
Significant Role ◽  
Documentary Film ◽  
Technological Changes ◽  
Cultural Changes ◽  
Digital Revolution ◽  
The Past ◽  
Impact Of Technology ◽  
Political Economic ◽  
The Impact

This introductory chapter sets out the book's purpose, namely to draw attention to the similarities between heterogeneous documentary practices and forms by offering in-depth analyses of significant independent documentary works in the post-1990 era. It examines recent cases where independence is at stake, either in the discourse developed by documentary practitioners themselves or in the supposed systems within which documentary images are produced. Hence, the purpose of this collective volume is to adjust an ever-changing term to the concrete modifications of documentary film practices, as well as to the new constraints and opportunities that have appeared in this field over the past twenty-five years. The technological changes taking place in the 1990s and 2000s have played a significant role in reshaping documentary film practices. However, the consequences of the digital revolution still need to be addressed without overestimating the impact of technology on other political, economic, social, and cultural changes.

scholarly journals A review of the tendencies and challenges in the European Union labour market

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 58-75
Author(s):  
Imola Cseh Papp ◽  
Norbert Bozsik ◽  
Erika Varga
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Jel Classification ◽  
Real Economy ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
The Past ◽  
Labour Shortage ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The paper presents the phenomenon of the past decade (2008-2018) that shaped the labour market all over Europe and also points out the differences lying beneath with the changes generated in the post-crisis period. In the context of this study this literature review is intended to provide a theoretical background for the development of a piece of research revealing the new labour market phenomena. Design/methodology/approach – The study first examines theoretical frameworks, solutions, and their practical operation through international experience. Findings – The economic crisis, initially of financial nature, had its percussions felt on the state budget and went on to real economy. Its consequences were also felt on the labour market. According to global experience, modern economies and societies are facing several challenges including unemployment, labour shortage and underemployment at the same time, in spite of the fact that the level of employment has significantly been rising in the past few years. Research limitations/implications – We applied an abductive approach. The reconstruction of past events is based on abduction, as we can deduce the events from their consequences and impacts on the present. Practical implications – Both unemployment, labor shortages and underemployment result in unfavorable economic conditions in a country. It is of utmost importance to effectively address these phenomena in order to reduce and control their negative effects. Originality/Value – Our study deals with the impact of employment on the labour market, the three key phenomena of the labor market: labour shortages, chnages in underemployment and international migration (labour migration) in European Union countries. Analysis is needed because conscious economic policy begins timely preparations for these changes. Keywords: job vacancy, labour market, labour shortage, migration, underemployment Research type (choose one): research paper JEL classification: J24, J62

Deforestation in the Global South: Assessing Uneven Environmental Improvements 1993–2013

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (5) ◽  
pp. 764-785 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron William Tester
Keyword(s):  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Forest Degradation ◽  
Global South ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Environmental Laws ◽  
Economic Forces ◽  
Key Sites ◽  
Political Economic ◽  
The Impact

In recent decades forest degradation declined around the globe. While encouraging, improvements emerged unevenly in the Global South. What explains these variable trends? Using longitudinal panel models with fixed effects, I assess changes to forest area from 1993–2013 in 73 countries. Drawing from sociological institutionalism and unequal ecological exchange, I make three contributions. I find that omnibus environmental laws mitigate forest loss rather than environmental international nongovernmental organizations, and, I show that dependency on trade with wealthy countries weakens the impact of these policies. I also substantiate and theorize export-led industrialization as a leading driver of deforestation. Broadly, I argue that national states are key sites of contestation between transnational political-economic forces and legitimated but pliable environmental institutions. Developing countries adopt standardized forest protections while, facing political-economic pressures, they variably consent to predatory trade terms and streamline export infrastructures. I conclude with recommendations for future research and policy implications.

Urban Poverty, Race, and Space

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Julius Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Inner City ◽  
Racial Inequality ◽  
Urban Poverty ◽  
Belief Systems ◽  
The Political ◽  
Inner Cities ◽  
Political Forces ◽  
Economic Forces ◽  
Political Economic ◽  
The Impact

This article examines the political, economic, and cultural factors that contributed to the emergence and persistence of concentrated poverty in black inner cities. It begins with a discussion of the political forces that adversely affected black inner-city neighborhoods, followed by an analysis of impersonal economic forces that accelerated neighborhood decline in the black inner city and increased disparities in race and income between cities and suburbs. It then considers two types of cultural forces that contribute to racial inequality: belief systems of the broader society that either explicitly or implicitly give rise to racial inequality; and cultural traits that emerge from patterns of intragroup interaction in settings created by racial segregation and discrimination. It also assesses the impact of the recent rise of immigration on areas of concentrated urban poverty before concluding with suggestions for a new agenda for America’s inner city poor.

scholarly journals What Do New Findings About Social Interaction in Autistic Adults Mean for Neurodevelopmental Research?

2021 ◽  
pp. 174569162095801
Author(s):  
Rachael Davis ◽  
Catherine J. Crompton
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Support ◽  
Communication Styles ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Interaction Styles ◽  
The Past ◽  
New Findings ◽  
Social Difficulties ◽  
Societal Changes ◽  
The Impact

Deficit-based accounts of social and communication abilities continue to dominate autism research. However, emerging findings suggest that this view may be overly simplistic and discount the two-way nature of interaction. Here we discuss the reconceptualization of social cognition to consider such difficulties as examples of bidirectional, multifaceted misattunement between autistic and nonautistic individuals. Aligned with progressive theoretical frameworks, emerging empirical research indicates that mismatches in communication styles can contribute to autistic social difficulties and the important role that nonautistic difficulties play. We highlight two areas of future research with the aim of providing empirical support for the views that the autistic community has proposed over the past 2 decades. We discuss the impact of such a paradigm shift on a number of levels, including how bridging the gap between different interaction styles can reduce stigma and increase understanding. Adopting such a framework will provide radical opportunities for transformative societal changes and education around inclusion.

scholarly journals Studentification and commodification of student lifestyle in Braamfontein, Johannesburg

Urbani izziv ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol Supplement (30) ◽  
pp. 178-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
James J. Gregory ◽  
Jayne M. ROGERSON Rogerson
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Housing ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
The Past ◽  
Massification Of Higher Education ◽  
Global North ◽  
Neighbourhood Change ◽  
New Form ◽  
Urban Contexts ◽  
The Impact

The process of studentification has emerged as a new form of neighbourhood change in the global North over the past 16 years and often situated within broader debates on gentrification. The growth of private student housing across cities globally has been linked to the increased neoliberalisation and massification of higher education and the lack of universities to keep up with the supply of student housing. Limited scholarship, however, exists on studentification in the global South. Notwithstanding that, in South Africa there has been growing recognition of the impact of studentification on urban environments. Despite some recognition in smaller cities, studentification has been neglected in large urban contexts. Using interviews with key informants and focus groups with students, this paper explores the impact of studentification in the urban neighbourhood of Braamfontein in Johannesburg. Over the past decade and a half there has been evidence of the concentration of student geographies and the commodification of student lifestyle in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.

scholarly journals The Aging Incarcerated Population: Evaluating Two Decades of Upward Trends

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Vasiliki Georgoulas-Sherry
Keyword(s):  
Prison Population ◽  
Population Data ◽  
Rapid Progression ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Geriatric Population ◽  
The Past ◽  
Care And Support ◽  
Aging Populations ◽  
Incarcerated Population ◽  
The Impact

The aging prison population encompasses the fastest rising age category in the US prison system and are continuing to receive national focus due to its high economic and social costs. Due to their confinement status, the aging incarcerated individuals are subject to insufficient health care and risky lifestyles and behaviors. This leads to an even more rapid progression of these concerns than commonly found in typical aging populations. Due to this, correctional departments are challenged to provide the necessary care and support. This study reviewed snapshots of 1998, 2008, and 2018 incarcerated population data from a mid-sized correctional department in efforts to evaluate the trends of the aging incarcerated population (ages 55 or older) over the past two decades. The findings highlight: a) The prevalence of the aging incarcerated population and the change in populations over the past two decades; b) The similarities and differences between the aging and non-aging incarcerated populations; c) The factors that distinguish the 1998, 2008, and 2018 aging incarcerated population; and d) The recidivism and violation rates of the 1998, 2008, and 2018 incarcerated population. This endeavor helped gain insight and knowledge into the impact of the aging incarcerated population. Studies like this one benefit in providing consideration to policy changes focusing on the geriatric population, attention to the aging population’s physical and mental health, and evaluation of new programs that can positively impact the aging incarcerated population.

Legal History As Economic History

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Fleming
Keyword(s):  
Economic History ◽  
Legal History ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
The Past ◽  
History Of ◽  
History Of Political Economy ◽  
Future Work ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Over the past century, legal history and economic history developed as separate fields of scholarship. Their separation reflects an understanding of law and economy as distinct objects that may be pulled apart and each analysed apart from the other. Yet, even assuming that law and economy are separable, it is undeniable that they interact. This chapter first maps the state of the field over the past several decades, identifying two major questions that have guided much of the scholarship on the border between legal and economic history. It then describes two of the theoretical frameworks available to legal historians for conceptualizing the relationship between law and economy. Finally, it argues that future work on the history of political economy should put aside measuring the impact of law on economy (and vice versa) and instead explore how the boundary between law and economy has been constructed and maintained over time.

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