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Staff Profile

Dr Rosie Binfield-Smith

School Postgraduate Research Lead

Staff profile image of Rosie Smith
 

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.

 

Further Information

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
  • MRes in Social Sciences

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.