Class and Criminal Justice: A Courtroom Ethnography

该项目将探讨阶级地位对被告在刑事司法系统中的经历和结果的影响。治安法院拟议为期六个月的人种学将使人们能够对刑事案件进行广泛观察，从而有机会详细分析阶级动态。我还打算采访被告、专业人士和其他法庭使用者，了解他们对阶级的看法及其影响。根据布尔迪厄(1986)的社会阶级理论、Becker(1963)关于“越轨”的著作、对阶级动态的经验考量(Carlen，1976)和新自由主义改革的影响(Newman&Welsh，2019)，本项目将考察阶级理论在法庭上的表现。很少有实证研究同时考虑阶级和改革，因此，这一项目可以对该领域做出原创性的贡献。

This project will explore the impact of class status on defendants' experiences and outcomes in thecriminal justice system. The proposed six-month ethnography of the Magistrates' Court would enableextensive observation of criminal cases affording the opportunity to analyse class dynamics at length. Ialso intend to conduct interviews with defendants, professionals and other court users on theirperceptions of class and its impact. Categorical data collection on class indicators and outcomes wouldenable cross-referencing of statistical trends against the qualitative data.Drawing on Bourdieu's (1986) theory of social class, Becker's (1963) work on 'deviance', empiricalconsiderations of class dynamics (Carlen, 1976) and the impact of neoliberal reforms (Newman & Welsh,2019), this project would examine the performance of class theory in the courtroom. Few empiricalstudies consider both class and reforms and therefore, this project could make an original contribution tothe field.