Staff Profile
Dr Rosie Binfield-Smith
School Post Graduate Research Lead
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I am a Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Criminology, specialising in the fields of criminal justice, criminological and sociological theory. My research looks at the new concept of 'Spectacular Justice' which explores the relationship between the mass media, high profile criminal cases, and the public. My work crosses over criminological theory, visual criminology, death studies, and media studies.
- School – York Business School
- Email – r.binfield-smith@yorksj.ac.uk
- Phone – 01904 876 193
- Research - View my work in RaY
Teaching
1CL002: Fundamentals in Criminological Theory
2SC004: Social Inequalities: Contemporary Debates
SOC5007: Social Inequalities: Contemporary Debates
3SC005: Sociology of murder
SOC4002: Sociology of Everyday Life
CRI6008: Murder
Research
My research works across criminological and sociological theory, cultural criminology, and media studies. I have coined the new concept of 'Spectacular Justice' and use this to research how the mass media represents criminal cases and turns them into high profile public dramas. Using international and historical case studies I challenge the idea that post-eighteenth century, criminal justice and punishment have become privatised and institutionalised under the pressure of panopticism. My work illustrates the renaissance of spectacular justice through print and broadcast media, and how this illuminates people's relationships with the manifestations of state power which continue to resonate in the present day.
Professional Activities
Organising Conferences and Academic Events:
2018 'The Non-Death of Neoliberalism' at York St John
2017: After Prison: Can we leave imprisonment behind? Conference 2016: Discourse(s) in the Social Sciences Conference
Public Lectures:
June 2017: 'Spectacular Justice' at York Festival of Ideas
June 2019: How do we Dispose of Mass Murderers? At York Festival of Ideas.
Death and Culture Network
Member of the York DaCNet, active member of the monthly reading group and speaker/delegate at biennial conferences.
Rosie authored 'The Spectacle of Execution’ podcast for the 'York Death & Culture Walk’.
Publications and Conferences
Book Reviews:
Smith, R. (2015) 'Wrong-Doing, Truth-Telling', Michel Foucault. Reviewed in 'The Sociological Imagination' [Online].
Smith, R. (2016) 'Cyber-proletariat: global labour in the digital vortex', Nick Dyer-Witheford. Reviewed in 'Information, Communication & Society', 19(12): 1735-1736
Smith, R. (2016) 'SuperVision: An Introduction to the Surveillance Society', by J. Gillion and T. Monahan. Reviewed in 'Information, Communication & Society', 19(12): 1713-1715
Smith, R. (2019) ‘The Mourning News: reporting violence death in a global age’, by T. Morse. Reviewed in ‘Mortality’ [Online].
Books
(Forthcoming) Smith, R. The Spectacle of Criminal Justice: Mass Media and the Criminal Trial. Emerald.
Book chapters
Penfold-Mounce, R and Smith, R (2020) Resisting the Grave: Value and the Productive Celebrity Dead. In: Jacobsen, M.H. ed. The Age of Spectacular Death. Routledge.
Journal articles
Robins, D. and Smith, R. (2020) Hidden Labour in Funeral Directing: Providing Care to ‘Difficult’ Dead Bodies. Mortality, 26(1): 100-111.
Conference Papers
2016: 'The Lurking Dead: (In)visibility and Spectacular Justice', Death and Culture Conference, York
2017: 'Digital Portraits and Future Prospects- Understanding Employability at York'. Teaching and Learning Conference, York
2017: 'Freedom to Learn- Assessment and the Student Experience'. Teaching and Learning Conference, York
2017: 'Anders Behring Breivik: Politics of Fear and National Identity', Media and Fear Conference, Lund, Sweden
2018: (Dis)posing of monsters: Justice and the ‘inhuman’ dead,’ Death and Culture Conference, York
2019: ‘The Norwegian Massacre: Terror, Mass Media, and Public Engagement.’ Death, Dying and Disposal, Bath.
Conferences
2016: 'The Lurking Dead: (In)visibility and Spectacular Justice', Death and Culture Conference, York.
2017: 'Digital Portraits and Future Prospects- Understanding Employability at York'. Teaching and Learning Conference, York.
2017: 'Freedom to Learn- Assessment and the Student Experience'. Teaching and Learning Conference, York.
2017: 'Anders Behring Breivik: Politics of Fear and National Identity', Media and Fear Conference, Lund, Sweden.
2018: (Dis)posing of monsters: Justice and the ‘inhuman’ dead,’ Death and Culture Conference, York.
2019: ‘The Norwegian Massacre: Terror, Mass Media, and Public Engagement.’ Death, Dying and Disposal, Bath.
2020: ‘Lured to the slaughter’: Illustrations and representations of Jack the Ripper victims in the Illustrated Police News. Death and Culture III Conference, York.
Blog Posts:
Smith, R. (2016) 'Debate on debate: Foucault v. Chomsky (1971) and the EU Referendum'. The Sociological Imagination [Online].
Smith, R. (2017) 'This is 'proper' research: Taking on the Social Science vs. Science Debate'. Women Are Boring.
