Browsing by Author "Shaw, Mark"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    Crime, culture and collecting: the illicit cycad market in South Africa
    (2017) Torgersen, Jonas Sørflaten; Shaw, Mark
    It is widely accepted that illicit markets are driven by specific contextual factors that determine their nature and scope. Two points in particular have not been explored in the literature on wildlife crime. First, while illicit markets around commodities such as drugs and weapons are fuelled by consumers arguably in need of, or addicted to, the product, the desires of buyers that shape wildlife markets are often shaped by cultural norms which may seem irrational to outsiders. Second, given that wildlife markets are seldom as stringently regulated as those in respect of drugs, weapons or other commodities, the nature of the criminal enterprises that source, move and sell the products are possibly very different. The study examines these two factors – the culture of markets and the degree of criminal enterprise or organisation within them – through a case study of a largely unexamined environmental crime market in South Africa, that of rare cycad plants. Cycads are widely exploited, moved and sold in the country by a network of increasingly criminalised operations. State action against these markets is not a priority and has had only few successes in limiting the trade of an increasingly scarce plant. A detailed examination of the market and its consumers suggests that it is strongly shaped by a particular South African culture which draws on (often mythical) connections to the land, including its fauna and flora. Ironically, those active in the market argue that their objective for doing so is conservation, even if illicit collections are the prime threat to the species. Although the academic and conservation community have attempted to develop and implement conservation tools and strategies, limited law enforcement and regulatory mechanisms have produced a flexible illicit market where a set of intermediaries play the key role. While the market shows signs of internal competition, it operates relatively openly, and does not display the levels of violence of other criminal markets in similar stages of development.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    An explorative study of Congolese "bouncers" in Cape Town: constructing masculine identities in liminal spaces
    (2017) Harris, Kirsten; Howell, Simon; Shaw, Mark
    The intended purpose of the following thesis was to explore and attempt to understand how Congolese Bouncers, specifically in Cape Town, construct their own masculine identities in liminal spaces. This exploration entailed examining the complexities and connections between immigrants, immigrant bouncers and masculine identities; within those areas, encompassing a multitude of periphery factors. The literature reviewed for this thesis then encompassed research on immigrants in South Africa, masculinities and masculine identities, bouncers, and illegal substances; individually as well as the correlations between and amongst the different areas. Thus, the following thesis consists of five chapters, with three, identified, key themes set out in individual chapters. A Foucauldian framework was used as a means of synthesising the often divergent areas of thought, as, at their core, they share concerns with knowledge, power, violence (in various forms) and identity. In the attempt to understand the subjective experiences and realities of these Congolese bouncers, the methodology employed for the collection of data was entirely qualitative in nature; specifically, that of phenomenological research. This method was situated within the (social) constructivist paradigm, used to guide the researcher in understanding "a phenomenon from the perspective of those experiencing it" (Constantino, 2008:119); using participant observation and interviewing as the primary forms of data collection. Upon listening to the individual "stories" and lived realities of the research participants, one of the key understandings in the conclusion of this thesis is that the "immigrant bouncer", in a South African context, exists in different realities. His identity, and more specifically his construction of masculinity, is divided by necessity between day and night. An identity that is constantly shifted and adapted to unfixed social structures. Through this research the hope is to create space for an alternative discussion which disrupts current conceptions around both immigrants and bouncers.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    Global crime governance off the eastern Africa littoral: does the response to piracy in the Western Indian Ocean provide a model?
    (2021) Bruwer, Carina; van der Spuy, Elrena; Shaw, Mark
    The transnational character of contemporary organized crime has resulted in cooperative efforts to address crimes which pose a mutual threat to multiple entities across the globe. But are such collective efforts achieving their aims? One such partnership, or group of partnerships, which has, is the global response to Somali piracy in the Western Indian Ocean off eastern Africa. While it has not eradicated piracy or the conditions giving rise thereto, it has effectively contained attacks. This achievement, and the public-private partnerships which gave effect to these efforts, is unprecedented for a response to transnational organized crime at sea. This has sparked debate regarding the response's utility for other transnational organized crimes which continue to plague the world's oceans. Although counter-piracy has been the object of much research due to its international nature, cooperative responses to other forms of transnational organized crime off the eastern Africa littoral have been neglected. In particular, the utility of counter-piracy for these other organized crimes is under-examined. This thesis therefore aims to present evidence to answer the research question: does the global governance response to Somali piracy provide a model for responding to other forms of transnational organized crime in the Western Indian Ocean? The research straddles criminology and law and is grounded in the theoretical frameworks of global governance, organized crime and maritime security. Research data was generated through a literature review, complimented by expert interviews and participant observation. This thesis uses the case studies of heroin and ivory trafficking in the Western Indian Ocean to consider comparative lessons from counter-piracy. It considers each crime's modus operandi, applicable international legal frameworks, impact, responding actors and existing and potential responses. It does so in order to illuminate the conditions under which global governance efforts against transnational organized crime at sea are likely to emerge and achieve success. The responses to piracy, heroin and ivory trafficking are considered at the hand of five paradigms, originally applied to counter-piracy responses by Prof. Christian Bueger. Each paradigm problematizes different aspects of each crime and discusses the resulting responses. The paradigms are categorized as the security, legal, economic, development and humanitarian paradigms. The findings suggest that global crime governance efforts are perhaps more at home at sea than on land and that different crimes mobilize responding actors to enter the maritime domain for different reasons. In addition to threatening national interests, states and other entities responding to maritime crimes are equally influenced by other factors, including corruption, modus operandi, strategic interests, international legal frameworks and human rights concerns. These factors also influence their chosen responses. Significantly, the research found that the private actors integral to counter-piracy are absent in the response to heroin and ivory trafficking, leaving a lacuna which, if not filled, will continue to facilitate the use of the oceans for illicit means. It is concluded that although counter-piracy holds many valuable lessons for global crime governance at sea, a response mimicking counter-piracy is unlikely to form in efforts to counter other forms of transnational organized crimes in the Western Indian Ocean.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    Using respondent-driven sampling (RDS) to recruit illegal poly-substance users in Cape Town, South Africa: implications and future directions
    (BioMed Central, 2016-09-01) Burnhams, Nadine Harker; Laubscher, Ria; Howell, Simon; Shaw, Mark; Erasmus, Jodilee; Townsend, Loraine
    Background: South Africa continues to witness an increase in illicit poly-substance use, although a precise measurement continues to be compounded by difficulties in accessing users. In a pilot attempt to use respondent-driven sampling (RDS)—a chain referral sampling method used to access populations of individuals who are ‘hard-to-reach’—this article documents the feasibility of the method as recorded in a simultaneously run, multisite, poly-substance study in Cape Town. Here we aim to a) document the piloting of RDS among poly-substance users in the three socio-economic disparate communities targeted; b) briefly document the results; and c) review the utility of RDS as a research tool. Methods: Three cross-sectional surveys using standard RDS procedures were used to recruit active poly-substance users and were concurrently deployed in three sites. Formative research was initially conducted to assess the feasibility of the survey. To determine whether RDS could be used to successfully recruit poly-substance users, social network characteristics, such as network size was determined. Results: A 42.5 % coupon return rate was recorded in total from 12 initial seeds. There were vast differences in the recruitment chains of individual seeds—two generated more than 90 recruits, and 2 of the 10 recruitment chains showing a length of more than 10 waves. Findings include evidence of the use of 3 or more substances in all three sites, high levels of unemployment among users, with more than a third of participants in two sites reporting arrest for drug use in the past 12 months. Conclusions: Our results indicate that RDS was a feasible and acceptable sampling method for recruiting participants who may not otherwise be accessible. Future studies can use RDS to recruit such cohorts, and the method could form part of broader efforts to document vulnerable populations.