Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation
5-2010
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Department
Sociology
Committee Chair
Austin, D. Mark
Subject
Homeless persons--Crimes against; Online social networks; Criminal behavior--Social aspects; Criminal psychology
Abstract
Due to of the rise in numbers of persons experiencing homelessness, communities are working to restrict access that homeless individuals have to public spaces. Many cities across the nation have criminalized aspects of homelessness in attempts to 'beautify' the areas. Starting in 2001, four videos were created and sold illustrating "bum fighting" in which homeless people were depicted fighting or performing stunts in return for alcohol and/or drugs (NCH, 2007). The National Coalition for the Homeless directly links the release of these videos to the increase of attacks against the homeless, many videotaping the ordeal, imitating the original videos. In this paper, I analyze 35 YouTube videos that display negative actions taken against homeless individuals. Findings indicate that those who take negative actions against homeless individuals neutralize their actions, which situates their actions as appropriate actions to be taken against the homeless.
Recommended Citation
Griffith, Elizabeth Anne 1986-, "Bum hunters : the simulations and neutralizations of negative actions taken against the homeless on YouTube." (2010). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 534.
https://doi.org/10.18297/etd/534
