Demonising the Other

Throughout history there has always been an other, often based on culture, race, gender or class, that has been demonised by the majority. This attribution of negative features onto others affects everyone, but Whitehead challenges the idea that this is an inevitable fact of life. While looking at the historical criminalisation of the other and the subsequent modernising transformations in criminal justice and penal policy, such as Big Society, Whitehead also questions if this is the most effective way to dismantle the conditions of existence responsible for othering. This important book not only looks for the origin of the other but also offers insights for a resolution that benefits society as a whole rather than just the powerful few.