Bag politics and ‘Wall’ Street capital: the role of social capital in social supply networks and broader society amongst privileged persons who use cocaine

Abstract

ABSTRACT Drawing on ethnographic data on the use and supply of cocaine in Hong Kong among privileged expatriates, we examine how members of the subculture enter into and navigate the fluid yet instrumental social supply networks and learn “bag politics” (the negotiation of using, obtaining, and sharing drugs). At the heart of “bag politics” lies a process of developing, sustaining, and strengthening one’s social capital within and beyond social supply networks. Our research builds upon theoretical arguments in the Bordieuan application to the criminological context of drug markets, looking specifically at “street capital” and “street social capital”. We show that “street social capital” can develop and be used in illicit settings beyond low socio-economic and marginalized communities. In looking at other socio-economic contexts, we raise the possibility that “street capital” and “street social capital” may facilitate rather than obstruct opportunities to succeed in broader society. We argue that within social supply networks among privileged expatriates, the development of “street social capital” provides opportunities for social and economic benefits both within and beyond the subculture. Finally, we argue that the desire to forge and develop such capital is a motiving factor to use and socially supply cocaine.