Multiple narratives of il/legality and im/morality: The case of small-scale hashish harvesting in Kyrgyzstan

TY - JOUR

T1 - Multiple narratives of il/legality and im/morality: The case of small-scale hashish harvesting in Kyrgyzstan

AU - Botoeva, Gulzat

PY - 2019/10/14

Y1 - 2019/10/14

N2 - The aim of this study is to contribute to the current literature concerning the social acceptance of illegal practices. Using legal pluralism as a general framework of analysis, this study discusses the relationship between state law and alternative perspectives concerning its legitimacy. It presents the experience of people involved in hashish harvesting in one of the regions of Kyrgyzstan, how the state defines it as an ‘illegal practice’ and how the local population subsequently invokes normative systems based on local spiritual knowledge and the local moral economy of hashish production. It argues that acceptance of hashish harvesting as a legitimate means of support is not a straightforward process. Despite the predominant legitimating narrative of hashish harvesting, it enters into a conversation with state defined notions of ‘illegality’ and is also shaped by the customary understanding of the spiritual power of cannabis plants that requires caution when making hashish.© 2019, The Author(s). This is an author produced version of a paper published in THEORETICAL CRIMINOLOGY uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self- archiving policy. The final published version (version of record) is available online at the link. Some minor differences between this version and the final published version may remain. We suggest you refer to the final published version should you wish to cite from it.

AB - The aim of this study is to contribute to the current literature concerning the social acceptance of illegal practices. Using legal pluralism as a general framework of analysis, this study discusses the relationship between state law and alternative perspectives concerning its legitimacy. It presents the experience of people involved in hashish harvesting in one of the regions of Kyrgyzstan, how the state defines it as an ‘illegal practice’ and how the local population subsequently invokes normative systems based on local spiritual knowledge and the local moral economy of hashish production. It argues that acceptance of hashish harvesting as a legitimate means of support is not a straightforward process. Despite the predominant legitimating narrative of hashish harvesting, it enters into a conversation with state defined notions of ‘illegality’ and is also shaped by the customary understanding of the spiritual power of cannabis plants that requires caution when making hashish.© 2019, The Author(s). This is an author produced version of a paper published in THEORETICAL CRIMINOLOGY uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self- archiving policy. The final published version (version of record) is available online at the link. Some minor differences between this version and the final published version may remain. We suggest you refer to the final published version should you wish to cite from it.

KW - Legal pluralism

KW - legitimation of illegal practices

KW - de-legitimation of law and state

KW - corruption of law enforcement

KW - neutralization techniques

KW - moral economy

KW - illegal drug production

U2 - 10.1177/1362480619880344

DO - 10.1177/1362480619880344

M3 - Article

SN - 1362-4806

JO - THEORETICAL CRIMINOLOGY

JF - THEORETICAL CRIMINOLOGY

ER -