Sovereignty, biopolitics and the local government of crime in Britain

Abstract

Fears about macro-level crime join those about local volume crime, inter-communal conflicts and governance emerging to manage them, presenting challenges for analysing commonalities and differences at various spatial levels. Governance theories crystallize in debates about security. Realist governmentality theory transcends discourse analysis of mentalities of government, and a focus on security, arguing that security practices manifest the struggle by local state institutions for sovereign control over populations and territories (biopolitics). Illustrated by rural and urban examples of biopolitical struggles, this highlights interaction between official and informal biopolitics, the latter involving communal groups attempting to govern from below. This creates tensions between universalistic/liberal, and particularistic, nationalist agendas, and also the recognition of multi-cultural, communal identities and interests.