Tagged: classification

Political & Economic Sociology / Sociology of Law, Crime and Deviance / Sociology of Media & Communication

Classification and the NSA: The Power of Silence

The chief of the National Security Agency, General Keith Alexander, made his first public comments since Edward Snowden exposed the NSA’s PRISM spying program.   The media aftermath of Snowden’s revelation generated multiple narratives surrounding the program. Media coverage focused on privacy concerns, the criminality of Snowden, and the necessity of the program to protect America’s safety.  Lost in the production of these various discourses, there were also narratives that did not emerge, that remained silent.  The absences of particular narratives...

Sociology of Law, Crime and Deviance

Anticipated Recommendation to Downgrade Ecstasy Raises Concerns

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs is expected to propose the reclassification of Ecstasy (MDMA). At present, ecstasy is categorized as a Class A drug, alongside heroin and cocaine. The recommendation to downgrade the drug to Class B appears to be based on a principle of “relative harm.”   Such reclassification may be seen as both radical and constructive, enabling drug workers, as well as the wider criminal justice system to take more appropriate action. However, early indications...