Weinberger, Barbara (1981) Law breakers and law enforcers in the late Victorian city : Birmingham 1867-1877. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

This study, based on a sample of offenders coming before the summary
court in Birmingham, 1867-77, looks at the processes of ostracism, exclusion,
deprivation and punishment accorded to the lowest strata of society in the
late Victorian city. It is argued that the identification and labelling of
a criminal class was part of the effort to deny the relevance of class conflict
by insisting on the relevance of moral distinctions.
The first chapter seeks to plot the social ecology of crime through a
comparison of a number of contrasting 'social areas' ranging from a high
crime to a no-crime area. Differences in the social characteristics of the
population living in these areas form the basis for explanations about
differences in levels of reported crime, and of police attention.
The second chapter deals with the law enforcement agencies of magistrates,
Watch Committee and police - describing their personnel and their different
priorities and strategies.
In Part II we turn for the first time to the offenders. Chapter 3
concentrates on juvenile offenders, their of fences and social characteristics,
and on the policy and provision made for them, as well as on sentencing
practice, as carried out in Birmingham in the period.
• Chapter 4 looks at the legislation for, and the definition of, the
Habitual Criminal. In this section the main categories of offence under the
Habitual Criminals Act are described as they occurred in Birmingham, as well
as the trends in sentencing practice for these offences.
The last chapter discuøses assault and other violent crimes, with
particular attention to the rise in Street disorders and assaults on the
police.
The conclusion points out that a Strategy of exclusion was implemented
by the urban elite for their 'criminal class' since this class presented no
real political threat, while it came to serve a diminishing economic function.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Criminals -- England -- Birmingham -- History -- 19th century, Law enforcement -- England -- Birmingham -- History -- 19th century, Birmingham (England) -- Social conditions -- 19th century
Official Date:	September 1981
Dates:	Date Event September 1981 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of Social History
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Shepherd, Michael, 1923-1996
Extent:	iv, 245, [13] leaves
Language:	eng

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