Abstract
The analysis of racialised police attitudes has been frequently addressed in academic articles, but the application of a Neo-Durkheimian approach has been largely overlooked. This article will apply Durkheimian theory to illuminate the need for a shift in crime and punishment policy and practices to avoid the present societal moral stagnation. In order to do so it will address both, the recent Black Lives Matter protests in America and the 2011 Riots in London. The use of the two case studies signifies the continuity of problematic police behaviour and political address. It is evident that such an article is embedded in an extremely sensitive topic, therefore it does not presume to provide a solution to the overwhelming circumstances. Rather, in illuminating the relevance of Durkheimian theory it signifies that current global circumstances demand a moral shift in societal understandings of solidarity and “the cult of the individual”, providing pivotal foundations for police practices. However, this requires participation of criminologists alongside practitioners and activists.
Highlights
“Durkheim is in need of redemption and recognition” 3 in the field of criminology
There is a need to recognise this power to transfer these benefits to subjugated groups, of which education to promote tolerance, inclusivity, and equality “is one method.”201 If the demand to sacralise the Black individual evident within Black Lives Matter (BLM) and as an undercurrent of the 2011 riots is to be met, allyship must go beyond social media and protests to transformative social change
Through applying Durkheim’s concepts, this essay has shown that the 2011 Tottenham riots initially conveyed the problematic exclusion of Black individuals from sacralisation but went on to express the economic disparities present within the current neo-liberal society
Summary
Durkheim is considered to be a “founding father” of sociology. It has been over a century since his passing, but his importance remains steadfast. “Durkheim is in need of redemption and recognition” 3 in the field of criminology. It is split into four sections, focusing on the Durkheimian police, the 2011 Tottenham riots, Black Lives Matter, and, the demand for a shift It continuously implements Durkheim’s ideas to reveal the role of the police in conveying societal values and inequalities, whilst simultaneously portraying the evident need for an evolutionary transition in moral solidarity. In The Elementary Forms of Religious Life, Durkheim explained religion’s role within society He perceived it as the moral and cognitive basis of social solidarity, providing the base from which “various manifestations of collective life have occurred.” In 1882, a Primary. To Durkheim, religion was functional, conveying morality through group affirmation.34 He studied Aboriginal societies in Australia to comprehend their notion of totemism and how symbolisation created the sacred which regulated relations.. From a Durkheimian perspective, punishment and crime control practices must symbolise and align with the cult of the individual if it intends to maintain solidarity within modernity
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