PNAS-2014-Klingenstein-1405984111(5).pdf (1.34 MB)
The civilizing process in London’s Old Bailey
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-19, 07:57 authored by Sara Klingenstein, Tim Hitchcock, Simon DeDeoThe jury trial is a critical point where the state and its citizens come together to define the limits of acceptable behavior. Here we present a large-scale quantitative analysis of trial transcripts from the Old Bailey that reveal a major transition in the nature of this defining moment. By coarse-graining the spoken word testimony into synonym sets and dividing the trials based on indictment, we demonstrate the emergence of semantically distinct violent and nonviolent trial genres. We show that although in the late 18th century the semantic content of trials for violent offenses is functionally indistinguishable from that for nonviolent ones, a long-term, secular trend drives the system toward increasingly clear distinctions between violent and nonviolent acts. We separate this process into the shifting patterns that drive it, determine the relative effects of bureaucratic change and broader cultural shifts, and identify the synonym sets most responsible for the eventual genre distinguishability. This work provides a new window onto the cultural and institutional changes that accompany the monopolization of violence by the state, described in qualitative historical analysis as the civilizing process.
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Publication status
- Published
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- Published version
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesISSN
1091-6490Publisher
National Academy of SciencesExternal DOI
Issue
26Volume
111Page range
9419-8242Department affiliated with
- History Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2014-07-02First Open Access (FOA) Date
2015-03-05First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2014-07-02Usage metrics
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