The free zone
Gang dynamics, de-differentiation, and pseudo-statehood in The Wire
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3877880 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Claudia Nitschke (0000-0002-3754-3696, Durham University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2016 |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 103-118 |
| Publication date | 2016-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Cultural Dynamics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0921-3740 • E-ISSN: 1461-7048 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/0921374015623391 |
| OpenAlex | W2286931432 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 15 |
This article scrutinises concepts of deregulation against the backdrop of the 'New Capitalism' as presented in the episode 'Hamsterdam' in the American TV series, The Wire: when the major in charge of the Western District of Baltimore secretly decides to pull the police force from the war on drugs in order to re-dedicate their energy to police work proper, he de facto legalises drugs in a specific quarter of his district. Read through theories of statehood and sovereignty, this episode sheds light on self-perception of gangs within an ailing communal system, and on the difficulties with which the protagonists of The Wire constantly grapple, shifting the focus from the seemingly self-sustaining microcosm of West Baltimore to the superstructure that presupposes and enables the mechanisms of Baltimore's public sphere
Archaeology · Capitalism · De facto · Deregulation · Economics · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Premise · Quarter (Canadian coin · Sociology · Sovereignty · Cinema and Media Studies · Crime, Deviance, and Social Control · History · Law · Theater, Performance, and Music History
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |