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#Crime pp 1–41Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

#Crime: The Theoretical Underpinnings

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Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Crime, Media and Culture ((PSCMC))

Abstract

There is an extensive body of literature examining legacy media and crime, and over the past ten years scholars have begun to explore the impact of new media on crime. Traditional media theories were created at the time of broadcast culture and today’s culture is a digital one. Therefore, traditional theories may or may not hold weight with the advent of social media. This chapter begins by defining legacy media and new media, followed by a discussion of media consumption trends with particular attention to social media. Then, the chapter overviews a selection of key media theories—social construction, moral panics, and fear of crime/cultivation theory—on crime and examines the applicability of new media to each theory. The chapter concludes by discussing theories and concepts directly applicable to new media and crime such as theoretical work by Yar (2012) and other research regarding the impact of the internet, networking, and digital culture.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Michael Foucault, a French philosopher, was critical of social institutions in particular prisons. His philosophy is used throughout postmodern perspectives.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA

    Rebecca M. Hayes

  2. Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA, USA

    Kate Luther

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Hayes, R.M., Luther, K. (2018). #Crime: The Theoretical Underpinnings. In: #Crime. Palgrave Studies in Crime, Media and Culture. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-89444-7_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-89444-7_1

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