Open AccessCrime in the Age of the Smart Machine: A Zuboffian Approach to Computers and Crime
Author(s) -
Kevin F. Steinmetz
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
international journal for crime, justice and social democracy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.36
H-Index - 16
eISSN - 2202-7998
pISSN - 2202-8005
DOI - 10.5204/ijcjsd.2136
Subject(s) - commission , perspective (graphical) , criminology , work (physics) , subculture (biology) , perception , crime analysis , affect (linguistics) , psychology , cultural criminology , sociology , computer science , engineering , political science , artificial intelligence , law , mechanical engineering , botany , communication , neuroscience , biology
This analysis ruminates on the quintessential qualities that underpin the relationship between computers and crime by drawing from the foundational work of Shoshana Zuboff, a scholar whose work has to date been largely ignored in the study of crime. From this perspective, computers are best described as “informating” machines that require “intellective skills” in both licit and illicit forms of work. The first part of this analysis describes the role of such skills in the commission of computer-related crimes and considers factors that affect the degree to which such skills are necessary for perpetration. The second part considers how a Zuboffian approach can inform examinations of other subjects that have historically been considered important for criminological inquiries, including learning and subculture, the emotional experience of crime, and perceptions held by offenders and victims.