Anti-Social Behaviour, Behavioural Expectations and an Urban Aesthetic

By A. Millie. 2007

152 citations recorded by the source corpus.

In recent years, the phrase anti-social behaviour (ASB), as understood in a public order enforcement context, has gained prominence in the United Kingdom, to the extent that it is claimed we now live in an ASBO nation . In this article, the meaning of ASB is explored as a contested concept. The focus is on urban spaces, where it is argued that understandings of ASB are very much dependent on people's behavioural expectations for a particular space and time. Moreover, what is regarded as anti-social is also determined by social and cultural norms of aesthetic acceptability. A differential interpretation perspective is suggested, in which the same behaviour can be censured as ASB (or crime), tolerated, or even celebrated. The consequences are discussed.

Subfields: Sociology and Political Science, Urban Studies

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/dc4cfd0c347c102ea7ac9c37e7a04c6387a947f6