Research project by Isabel Stunder
Title: The contribution of the punishment of "fare evaders" to deepening social division
Brief description of context: This work operates at the intersection of social ethics and criminology, and draws on legal philosophical, legal ethical, and legal sociological approaches.
Question: What are the effects of punishing people who use public transport without a valid ticket on social inequalities?
Aim: The paper identifies the sanctioning of "fare evasion" as a means for advancing marginalization and a widening gap between rich and poor. The punishment of fare evaders is recognized as a selection mechanism that stabilizes and exacerbates social imbalances and, moreover, undermines the democratic foundation.
Method: The thesis is based on the methods of literature research. Through its access to theoretical reflections and empirical data from different disciplines, it can be described as interdisciplinary and, through its transformative impetus, also as transdisciplinary.
Content: The insight that poverty, a lack of realization opportunities and social exclusion are mutually reinforcing is not new. However, little scholarly attention has been paid in this context to the use of public transportation and the penalization of its ticketless use.
Timeframe: To be completed by the end of 2023.
Participating institutions/persons: First supervisor: Prof. Bernhard Laux (University of Regensburg), Second supervisor: Prof. Bernhard Bleyer (University of Passau).