Stefan Machura teaches criminology and criminal justice at Bangor University. The perceived fairness of authorities and of procedures like court trials, lay participation in the administration of justice and the portrayal of the legal system in popular media and its effects form major aspects of his research.

In 2020, Stefan Machura received the International Prize Honorary Mention of the Law and Society Association (USA) in recognition of significant contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the field of law and society.

Since 2000, Stefan Machura is one of the editors of the "Zeitschrift für Rechtssoziologie. The German Journal of Law and Society", 2010-2014 main editor (info: https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/zfrs).

The Working Group on Law and Popular Culture of the International Sociological Association's Research Committee on Sociology of Law (RCSL) has elected Stefan Machura since March 2018.

Stefan Machura is board member of the Sociology of Law Section in the German Sociological Association since 1998 (http://www.soziologie.de/index.php?id=275). In addition, he is a board member of the (German) Association for Law and Society “Vereinigung für Recht und Gesellschaft” (https://www.rechtssoziologie.info/).

Since 2023, Stefan Machura is a member of the Youth Justice Board Academic Liaison Network.

Answer phone: 01248-382214

Email: s.machura@bangor.ac.uk

  • Other: Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education
    University of Wales, Bangor, 2009
  • Professional: Umhabilitation
    Ruhr-University Bochum, 2005
  • PhD: Habilitation, dissertation "Fairneß und Legitimität"
    Universität der Bundeswehr München, 2000
  • PhD: The control of state-owned enterprises
    Ruhr-University Bochum, 1992
  • Other: Diplom-Sozialwissenschaftler, dissertation on the political control of ministerial bureaucracy
    Ruhr-University Bochum, 1987

Teaching and Administration

Undergraduate Teaching

  • SXY1005 Introduction to Criminology
  • SXY2004/3004 Crime and the Media
  • HPS2022/3022 Understanding Criminal Courts.

Postgraduate Teaching

  • SXU4016/SXU4017 MA Dissertation (module coordinator)
  • SXY4015 Key Issues in Criminology
  • SXY4020 Comparative and International Criminal Justice.

Administration

  • Exams Officer (postgraduate taught degrees, PGT)
  • Programme Lead PGT (criminology and related social sciences).

PhD students / postgraduate researchers currently supervised:

  • David Ashworth: Driving Offences under the Influence of Drugs
  • Alicia Edwards: Agromafia.

 PhD students previously supervised:

  • Iossif Irhoumah: Satellite Television and Informal Social Control Institutions. Libyan Society in the Era of Globalization
  • Yusuf Usman: The Renewal of Hostilities in the Nigerian Delta Region in 2016 and the Failure of the Presidential Amnesty 
  • Marc Lewis: Making Connections: The Socio-Economic Impacts of an All-Wales Integrated Transport System.

Modules previously taught:

Undergraduate modules

  • Actors in the Legislation Process
  • Administrative Courts in Action
  • Administrative Policy
  • Americana film genre
  • BA Dissertation module
  • Contemporary Social Debates
  • Courts and Lawyers in the Media – Media Content, Media Strat­egies, Media Effects
  • Crime and Law in Film
  • Emile Durkheim
  • Interest Groups, Parties, Elections – Political Sociology
  • Introduction to Political Science
  • Introductory Criminology
  • Law in Film
  • Law, State and Social Development as Seen by Weber and Luhmann
  • LLM Dissertation (module coordinator)
  • Max Weber
  • Media and Politics
  • Prison Films 1930-2000
  • Procedural and Distributive Justice
  • Public Management
  • Social Science Perspectives
  • Sociology of Law
  • Sociology of Organization and Public Administration
  • The Criminal Procedure as Seen by the Defendant
  • The German Courtroom Film

Postgraduate Modules

  • Applied Research in Criminology
  • Applied Social Research
  • Comparative and International Criminal Justice
  • Comparative Criminological Research
  • International Case Studies in Criminology
  • Key Issues in Crime and Justice
  • Procedures and the Construction of Collective Action
  • Social Science in Action
  • The Research Process

Professor Machura's research interests are related to the areas of sociology of law, political sociology, criminology and criminal justice, popular culture including mass media and music. He is particularly interested in international and transdisciplinary research, and in cooperating with scholars and practitioners from various academic backgrounds and from different countries. In his work, he uses a range of research methods, quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods, cross-sectional and case studies, panel studies, randomised telephone interviews, face-to-face interviews, court observation and systematic analyses of media content. 

Stefan Machura welcomes PhD students on a range of topics, especially those who would like to conduct empirical studies and international comparisons on the following fields: • criminal and other courts • popular legal culture/crime and the media • legal politics/penal politics • lay and professional judges • people's experience with legal authority, their trust and confidence as well as the legitimacy of the institutions • staff experience in organizations • legal profession and legal education • traffic offenses • Welsh language/nationalism and Wales as diverse society. He also welcomes PhD students interested in sociological and criminological theory and can support quantitative and qualitative research projects.

2024

  • Accepted/In pressCharacter Development and Legal Message in Popular Culture
    Machura, S., 18 Dec 2024, (Accepted/In press) In: Zeitschrift für Rechtssoziologie - The German Journal of Law and Society. 45, 1
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • PublishedIntroduction: Law and War in Popular Culture
    Machura, S., 1 Nov 2024, Law and War in Popular Culture. Machura, S. (ed.). Baden-Baden: Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, 21 p.
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
  • PublishedLaw and War in Popular Culture
    Machura, S. (Editor), 1 Nov 2024, Baden-Baden: Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft. 255 p.
    Research output: Book/Report › Book › peer-review
  • PublishedLaw and War in the Opera
    Machura, S. & Cunningham, J., 1 Nov 2024, Law and War in Popular Culture. Machura, S. (ed.). Baden-Baden: Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, p. 165-184 19 p.
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
  • PublishedLaypeople’s Attitudes towards and Experiences with the Law
    Machura, S., 28 Jun 2024, Laypersons in Law: Social Science Perspectives on Legal Practices of Non-professionals. Kretschmann, A., Mouralis , G. & Zeigermann, U. (eds.). Abingdon: Routledge, 14 p.
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
  • PublishedRecent Developments about Lay Judges in the European Union
    Machura, S., Kutnjak Ivkovic, S. & Hans, V. P., 2 Jan 2024, In: Laikos. 1, 2, 13 p.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
  • Accepted/In pressTrial by film: Cases and Causes in Popular Legal Culture
    Machura, S., 24 May 2024, (Accepted/In press) Trial by Media. Gies, L. (ed.). Palgrave Macmillan, 19 p.
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

2023

  • PublishedAnalysing Law in Opera
    Machura, S., Litvinova, O. & Cunningham, J., Jun 2023, In: Law and Humanities. 17, 1, p. 90-111 22 p.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • PublishedCharacter development and legal message in popular culture
    Machura, S., 5 May 2023. 23 p.
    Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper
  • Accepted/In pressLegitimation
    Machura, S., 3 Aug 2023, (Accepted/In press) Grundbegriffe der Soziologie. Kopp, J. & Steinbach, A. (eds.). 13 ed. Wiesbaden: Springer Verlag, 4 p.
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • Accepted/In pressRecht
    Machura, S., 3 Aug 2023, (Accepted/In press) Grundbegriffe der Soziologie. Kopp, J. & Steinbach, A. (eds.). 13 ed. Springer Verlag, 3 p.
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • PublishedThe “Living Law” 100 years after Eugen Ehrlich: Two Workshops in Paris and Frankfurt
    Machura, S., 2023, 7 p. Oñati (Gipuzkoa) – Spain : ISA Research Committee on the Sociology of Law.
    Research output: Other contribution

2022

2021

  • PublishedMinisterialbürokratie
    Machura, S., Apr 2021, Handwörterbuch des politischen Systems der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Andersen, U., Bogumil, J., Marschall, S. & Woyke, W. (eds.). 8 ed. Wiesbaden: Springer VS, p. 627 631 p.
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Entry for encyclopedia/dictionary
  • PublishedReflections of legal culture in television comedy: Social critique and Schadenfreude in the US series ‟Frasier“
    Machura, S. & Litvinova, O., Feb 2021, In: International Journal of the Semiotics of Law. 34, 1, p. 89-108 20 p.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • PublishedVisual Criminology in International and Comparative Context
    Machura, S., 28 Jun 2021, Oxford Encyclopedia of International Criminology. Erez, E. & Ibarra, P. (eds.). New York: Oxford University Press USA, 28 p.
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Entry for encyclopedia/dictionary › peer-review
  • PublishedWomen, Film, and the Law: Cinematic Representations of Female Incarceration
    Machura, S., Dec 2021, In: Journal of Law and Society. 48 , 4, p. 726-729 6 p.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Book/Film/Article review
  • PublishedÄmterpatronage
    Machura, S., 2021, Handwörterbuch des politischen Systems der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Andersen, U., Bogumil, J., Marschall, S. & Woyke, W. (eds.). 8 ed. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, p. 41-43 (Springer Reference Sozialwissenschaften; vol. 8).
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Entry for encyclopedia/dictionary › peer-review
  • Published“In the name of the people” ̶ Lay assessors in Germany
    Machura, S. & Rennig, C., 31 Jan 2021, Juries, Lay Judges, and Mixed Courts: A Global Perspective. Kutnjak Ivkovic, S., Diamond, S. S., Hans, V. P. & Marder, N. S. (eds.). Cambridge University Press, (ASCL Studies in Comparative Law).
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
  • Published“… and my right” ̶ The Magistrates’ Courts in England and Wales
    Machura, S., 29 Jul 2021, Juries, Lay Judges, and Mixed Courts: A Global Perspective. Kutnjak Ivkovich, S., Diamond, S. S., Hans, V. & Marder, N. (eds.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 131-151
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

2020

2019

2018

  • PublishedInterview on courtroom dramas
    Machura, S., 28 Feb 2018
    Research output: Other contribution
  • PublishedLay Judges at Labour Courts: A Cross-national Study
    Machura, S., 22 Aug 2018, In: Industrial Law Journal. 47, 3, p. 454-457 6 p.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Book/Film/Article review
  • PublishedLegitimation
    Machura, S., 23 Mar 2018, Grundbegriffe der Soziologie. Kopp, J. & Steinbach, A. (eds.). 12 ed. Springer Verlag, p. 271-277
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Entry for encyclopedia/dictionary
  • PublishedOxford Encyclopedia on Crime, Media, and Popular Culture
    Rafter, N. (Editor), Brown, M. (Editor) & Machura, S. (Editor), 22 Feb 2018, New York: Oxford University Press USA. 2232 p.
    Research output: Book/Report › Book › peer-review
  • PublishedRecht
    Machura, S., 23 Mar 2018, Grundbegriffe der Soziologie. Kopp, J. & Steinbach, A. (eds.). 12 ed. Wiesbaden: Springer Verlag, p. 373-378
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Entry for encyclopedia/dictionary
  • PublishedRecognising modern slavery
    Machura, S., Short, F., Hill, V. M., Suddaby, C. R., Goddard, F. E., Jones, S. E., Lloyd-Astbury, E. L., Richardson, L. & Rouse, C. A., 14 May 2018, In: Journal of Human Trafficking. 5, 3, p. 201-219 39 p.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • PublishedRepresentations of Law, Rights and Criminal Justice
    Machura, S., 2018, Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Criminology. New York: Oxford University Press USA, p. 1-27 27 p.
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
  • PublishedThe Legal System in German Popular Culture
    Machura, S. & Böhnke, M., 2018, Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Criminology. New York: Oxford University Press USA
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

2016

  • PublishedCivil Justice: Lay Judges in the EU Countries
    Machura, S., 1 Jun 2016, In: Oñati Socio-legal Series. 6, 2
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • PublishedGermany
    Machura, S. & Böhnke, M., 17 Nov 2016, A Transnational Study of Law and Justice on TV. Robson, P. & Schultz, J. L. (eds.). Oxford: Hart Publishing, p. 99-112 14 p. 8
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • PublishedInter- and Intra-Agency Co-Operation in Safeguarding Children: A Staff Survey
    Machura, S., 1 Apr 2016, In: British Journal of Social Work. 46, 3, p. 652-668
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • PublishedLaw and Cinema Movement
    Machura, S., Picart, C. J. (Editor), Jacobsen, M. H. (Editor) & Greek, C. (Editor), 1 Apr 2016, Framing Law and Crime: An Interdisciplinary Anthology. 2016 ed. Rowman & Littlefield, p. 25-58
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • PublishedLegitimation
    Machura, S., Kopp, J. (Editor) & Steinbach, A. (Editor), 2016, Grundbegriffe der Soziologie. 2015 ed. Springer Verlag, p. 200-206
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • PublishedRecht
    Machura, S., Kopp, J. (Editor) & Steinbach, A. (Editor), 2016, Grundbegriffe der Soziologie. 2015 ed. Springer Verlag, p. 280-285
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • PublishedRecht im Film ̶ Themen und Formen des Unterrichts
    Machura, S., 2016, In: Zeitschrift für Didaktik der Rechtswissenschaft.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
  • PublishedUnd die Moral von der Geschicht': Rechtspolitische Botschaften in Rechtsfilmen und Fernsehserien
    Machura, S., Stuermer, F. (Editor) & Meier, P. (Editor), 1 Jun 2016, Recht populär: Populärkulturelle Rechtsdarstellungen in aktuellen Texten und Medien. Nomos, p. 169-187
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • PublishedUnderstanding the German Mixed Tribunal
    Machura, S., Dec 2016, In: Zeitschrift für Rechtssoziologie - The German Journal of Law and Society. 36, 2, p. 273-302 30 p.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2015

  • PublishedEmpirische Beobachtungen zum Prestige der deutschen Anwälte
    Machura, S., Kohte, W. (Editor), Muller, C. (Editor) & Absenger, N. (Editor), 14 Jul 2015, Menschenrechte und Solidarität im internationalen Diskurs: Festschrift für Professor Dr. Armin Höland. 2015 ed. Nomos, p. 396-410
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

2014

  • PublishedEugen Ehrlich's Legacy in Contemporary German Sociology of Law
    Machura, S., Papendorf, K. (Editor), Machura, S. (Editor) & Hellum, A. (Editor), 1 Dec 2014, Eugen Ehrlich's Sociology of Law. 2014 ed. Lit Verlag, p. 39-68
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • PublishedEugen Ehrlich's Sociology of Law
    Machura, S. (Editor), Papendorf, K. (Editor) & Machura, S. H. (Editor), 31 Dec 2014, Lit Verlag.
    Research output: Book/Report › Book
  • PublishedEugen Ehrlichs “Lebendes Recht” und die Rolle des Staates
    Machura, S. & Löw, M. (Editor), 2 Oct 2014.
    Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper
  • PublishedIntroduction
    Machura, S., Hellum, A., Papendorf, K. & Machura, S. (Editor), 1 Dec 2014, Eugen Ehrlich's Sociology of Law. 2014 ed. Lit Verlag, p. 1-14
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • PublishedLaw students' trust in the courts and the police
    Machura, S., Love, T. & Dwight, A., 5 Jun 2014, In: International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice. 42, 4, p. 287-305
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • PublishedOrganizing a community: The "living law" of the Don Cossacks
    Litvinova, O., Machura, S., Papendorf, K. (Editor), Machura, S. (Editor) & Hellum, A. (Editor), 1 Dec 2014, Eugen Ehrlich's Sociology of Law. 2014 ed. Lit Verlag, p. 157-177
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

2013

  • Published"Law is an Odd Thing" - Liberalism and Law in the TV-series "The Good Wife"
    Machura, S. & Davies, L., 1 Apr 2013, In: Kriminologisches Journal. 45, 4, p. 279-294
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Published100 Jahre Rechtssoziologie: Eugen Ehrlichs Rechtspluralismus heute
    Rohl, K. F. & Machura, S., 1 Dec 2013, In: JuristenZeitung. 68, 23, p. 1117-1128
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • PublishedHow Studying Law, Media and Experience Influence Trust in the Courts and the Police. A Comparison of Law and Language Students at Bangor University.
    Machura, S., Ramos, N. M., Rooney, T., Warmald, S. & Estermann, J. (Editor), 1 Jan 2013, Kampf ums Recht: Akteure und Interessen im Blick der interdisziplinären Rechtsforschung. 2013 ed. Lit Verlag, p. 150-167
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • PublishedMinisterialbürokratie
    Machura, S., Anderson, U. (Editor) & Woyke, W. (Editor), 18 Nov 2013, Handwörterbuch des politischen Systems der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. 2013 ed. Springer Verlag, p. 453-456
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • PublishedÄmterpatronage
    Machura, S., Anderson, U. (Editor) & Woyke, W. (Editor), 18 Nov 2013, Handwörterbuch des politischen Systems der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. 2013 ed. Springer Verlag, p. 5-7
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • PublishedÖffentlicher Dienst
    Machura, S., Anderson, U. (Editor) & Woyke, W. (Editor), 18 Nov 2013, Handwörterbuch des politischen Systems der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. 2013 ed. Springer Verlag, p. 506-510
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

2012

  • PublishedGerman sociology of law: a case of path dependency
    Machura, S., 1 Dec 2012, In: International Journal of Law in Context. 8, 4, p. 506-523
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • PublishedTelevision Judges in Germany
    Machura, S., Robson, P. (Editor) & Silbey, J. (Editor), 1 Jan 2012, Law and Justice on the Small Screen. 2012 ed. Hart Publishing, p. 251-170
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

  • PublishedAn Analysis Scheme for Law Films.
    Machura, S., 1 Jan 2007, In: University of Baltimore Law Revue. 36, p. 329-345
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • PublishedAnsehensverlust der Justiz? Licht und Schatten des Gerichtsshowkonsums.
    Machura, S., Döveling, K. (Editor), Mikow, L. (Editor) & Nieland, J. U. (Editor), 1 Jan 2007, Im Namen des Fernsehvolkes. Neue Formate für Orientierung und Bewertung. 2007 ed. UVK Verlagsgesellschaft, p. 93-101
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • PublishedDGS Sektion Rechtssoziologie.
    Machura, S. & Clark, D. S. (Editor), 1 Jan 2007, Encyclopedia of Law and Society: American and Global Perspectives. 2007 ed. SAGE Publications, p. 406-407
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • PublishedLay Judges in Rostov Province.
    Machura, S., Litvinova, O. & Feldbrugge, F. J. (Editor), 1 Jan 2007, Russia, Europe, and the Rule of Law. 2007 ed. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, p. 109-127
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • PublishedLay Judges.
    Machura, S. & Clark, D. S. (Editor), 1 Jan 2007, Encyclopedia of Law and Society: American and Global Perspectives. 2007 ed. SAGE Publications, p. 937-940
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • PublishedLay assessors of German administrative courts: Fairness, power-distance orientation, and deliberation activity
    Machura, S., 1 Jul 2007, In: Journal of Empirical Legal Studies. 4, 2, p. 331-363
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • PublishedLegitimacy.
    Machura, S. & Clark, D. S. (Editor), 1 Jan 2007, Encyclopedia of Law and Society: American and Global Perspectives. 2007 ed. SAGE Publications, p. 950-953
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • PublishedThe German Response to 12 Angry Men.
    Machura, S., 1 Jan 2007, In: Chicago-Kent Law Review. 82, 2, p. 100-113
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • PublishedThe Influence of Film and TV on the Perception of Lawyers and Courts.
    Machura, S., 1 Jan 2007.
    Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper
  • PublishedThe Influence of Political Parties on the Third Power.
    Machura, S., 1 Jan 2007.
    Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper

2006

  • PublishedEhrenamtliche Verwaltungsrichter
    Machura, S., 1 Jan 2006, Lit.
    Research output: Book/Report › Book
  • PublishedEinführung – Staat im Wandel. Rüdiger Voigt zum 65. Geburtstag.
    Walkenhaus, R., Machura, S., Nahamowitz, P., Treutner, E. & Machura, S. (Editor), 1 Jan 2006, Staat im Wandel: Festschrift für Rüdiger Voigt. 2006 ed. Steiner, p. 7-13
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • PublishedFernsehgerichtshows: Spektakel des Rechts.
    Machura, S., 1 Jan 2006, In: Paragrana. 15, 1, p. 174-188
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • PublishedGerichtsbarkeit.
    Machura, S., Voigt, R. (Editor) & Walkenhaus, R. (Editor), 1 Jan 2006, Handwörterbuch zur Verwaltungsreform. 2006 ed. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, p. 137-141
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • PublishedGesetzgebung.
    Machura, S., Voigt, R. (Editor) & Walkenhaus, R. (Editor), 1 Jan 2006, Handwörterbuch zur Verwaltungsreform. 2006 ed. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, p. 142-144
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • PublishedLaw on the Screen and on TV: Cultivation Effects on Students.
    Machura, S., 1 Jan 2006.
    Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper
  • PublishedPrivatisierung.
    Machura, S., Voigt, R. (Editor) & Walkenhaus, R. (Editor), 1 Jan 2006, Handwörterbuch zur Verwaltungsreform. 2006 ed. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, p. 277-281
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • PublishedRecht.
    Machura, S., Schäfers, B. (Editor) & Kopp, J. (Editor), 1 Jan 2006, Grundbegriffe der Soziologie. 2006 ed. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, p. 231-235
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • PublishedRechtssoziologie.
    Machura, S., Heun, W. (Editor), Honeker, M. (Editor), Morlok, M. (Editor) & Wieland, J. (Editor), 1 Jan 2006, Evangelisches Staatslexikon. 2006 ed. Kohlhammer, p. 1920-1925
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • PublishedSitte und Brauch.
    Machura, S., Heun, W. (Editor), Honeker, M. (Editor), Morlok, M. (Editor) & Wieland, J. (Editor), 1 Jan 2006, Evangelisches Staatslexikon. 2006 ed. Kohlhammer, p. 2157-2159
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • PublishedStaat im Wandel: Festschrift für Rüdiger Voigt
    Walkenhaus, R. (Editor), Machura, S. (Editor), Nahamowitz, P. (Editor) & Treutner, E. (Editor), 1 Jan 2006, 2006 ed. Steiner.
    Research output: Book/Report › Book
  • PublishedVerwaltung.
    Machura, S., Voigt, R. (Editor) & Walkenhaus, R. (Editor), 1 Jan 2006, Handwörterbuch zur Verwaltungsreform. 2006 ed. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, p. 355-360
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
  • PublishedVerwaltungswissenschaft.
    Machura, S., Voigt, R. (Editor) & Walkenhaus, R. (Editor), 1 Jan 2006, Handwörterbuch zur Verwaltungsreform. 2006 ed. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, p. 373-379
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

2024

  • The process is the punishment “Anatomie of a Fall” in the context of the courtroom drama genre

    The film “Anatomie d'une chute” aka “Anatomy of a Fall” (2023), directed by Justine Triet, is a powerful interpersonal drama and a “whodunit” as the viewer is left to find out if a murder has been committed. The paper concentrates mainly on the third genre to which “Anatomy” belongs: the courtroom drama. It turns out that the film has many such elements. But it is an atypical courtroom drama as it has no lawyer hero. Presented are issues around the reliability of witness statements, especially of children, the stories constructed for use in court and the heavy burden for those affected – all not unfamiliar from real trials.

    25 Nov 2024

    Links:

    Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
  • The Influence of Social Media on Trust in the Police

    In England and Wales, trust in the police has suffered from relentless reports about poor

    service and serious officer misbehaviour. The contribution of media, especially social media,

    to reduction in police trust is unclear. In the current study, students at five universities in

    London and Wales completed a questionnaire to identify factors influencing student trust in

    the police in England and Wales. Results highlighted an association of social media, of

    television, film, and novels with trust in the police. When it comes to aspects of perceived

    police behaviour, students were especially concerned about response to emergencies, to

    domestic abuse and about officers’ attitude towards women. The results suggest that police

    trust may be improved through working with media and by improving how officers interact with citizens, especially women.

    The project results in unique insights which can influence how the police informs the public

    and how it tries to address the needs of young people. In its reach, it goes beyond previous

    studies by the author, for example:

    Machura, Stefan, Almjnoni, Salim, Vavrik, Boris, and Williams, Einir (2022). Welsh

    Nationalism, Language and Students’ Trust in the UK Police. International Journal of Politics,

    Culture, and Society, 35, 67–84. Online: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10767-020-09379-z.

    Data have been sampled in February 2023.

    4 Sep 2024

    Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
  • Representing Law

    From 3 to 6 September 2024, Bangor University hosts the Research Committee on Sociology of Law (RCSL) international conference. The conference topic is “Representing Law” and alludes to the necessity to represent, symbolise, and communicate law. It covers a range of socio-legal topics RCSL members and others are researching, such as the work of lawyers, the handling of law by public officials, law in the arts and in popular culture.

    3 Sep 2024 – 6 Sep 2024

    Links:

    Activity: Participation in Academic conference (Speaker)
  • Representing Law and the Post Office Scandal

    This is the Inaugural Speech at the “Representing Law” conference of the Research Committee on Sociology of Law at Bangor University from 3 to 6 September 2024. The presentation introduced delegates to the conference topic, especially the representation of law in media. A recent TV mini-series “Mr Bates & the Post Office” forms an example for how law is portrayed. Demonstrated is the power of artful media products to influence the law by instigating heavy public criticism.

    3 Sep 2024

    Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
  • A matter of trust: How students view the police

    In England and Wales, trust in the police has suffered from relentless reports about poor service and serious officer misbehaviour. The contribution of media, especially social media, to reduction in police trust is unclear. In the current study, students at five universities in London and Wales completed a questionnaire to identify factors influencing student trust in the police in England and Wales. Results highlighted an association of social media, of television, film, and novels with trust in the police. When it comes to aspects of perceived police behaviour, students were especially concerned about response to emergencies, to domestic abuse and about officers’ attitude towards women. Key is the perceived response to sexual abuse. The results suggest that police trust may be improved through work with media and by improving how officers interact with citizens, especially women.

    19 Jun 2024

    Links:

    Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
  • Art, Literature and Socio-Legal Studies

    Discussant for a talk by Barbara Hughes-Moore, on occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Journal of Law and Society.

    11 Jun 2024

    Activity: Participation in Academic workshop, seminar, course (Speaker)
  • Developing International Collaboration on Promoting Socio-Legal Studies in Ukraine: Tools and Good Practices

    A Roundtable organised by the UK Socio-legal Studies Association, US Aid, and the School of Sociology and Law at the I. Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. Stefan Machura explained in a power point presentation how socio-legal research with students can be done.

    30 May 2024

    Activity: Participation in Academic conference (Speaker)
  • “Where do you want to be in three years”? - The Youth Court

    The youth court is largely unknown territory. Trials proceed behind closed doors. In 2015/2016, I had the opportunity to observe six trial days in London and north Wales.

    In general, my impression of the youth court is much more positive than of adult courts. An initial adversarial procedure is followed by an investigatory phase. Magistrates appear genuinely interested in the juveniles and their cases. The presiding magistrate engages in dialogue with the juveniles.

    Prosecutors, lawyers, legal advisors, YOT appear competent and in many cases personally engaged.

    Generally, the objective of retribution yields to an attempt to better the juvenile‘s life.

    I would like to study the youth court on a wider scale to see if this picture applies more generally.

    18 Jan 2024

    Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)

2023

  • What Film and Television Teach about Law

    Knowledge about law comes from a variety of sources, including fictional films and television shows. There has been a long debate about what these influences look like. Do they end up damaging the reputation of lawyers, courts or the police? For dramaturgical reasons, legal representations in popular culture contrast “justice figures” with “injustice figures” (N. Rafter). But it's usually the case that the former have the upper hand. However, the audience is not encouraged to have blind trust; rather, fictional formats support a classically liberal view of the law: things can go wrong and therefore constitutional guarantees are needed. This is the most general message that film and television send about law.

    In addition, the large amount of US products presents this particular legal system to the audience. Misunderstandings can therefore arise. The interest that viewers show in legal representations is also crucial: those who have negative direct experiences may choose films and programs that are critical of the judiciary, the law, police, or lawyers, and reject those with a positive message. Depictions based on historical events tend to present a disturbing view. Ultimately, the cases remained in consciousness because they did not appear to be solved convincingly. Another extremely critical subgenre is military court dramas, which usually show how the rights of individuals are sacrificed for political goals.

    22 Sep 2023

    Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
  • Trial by film: Cases and Causes in Popular Legal Culture

    In surveys, respondents are ready to admit that they are influenced by works of popular culture in what they think about the law. Likewise, academics and practitioners often assume this, being concerned about a negative image painted of their profession. Determining content and effect of films and television broadcasts is complicated by the sheer number of productions and the diversity of audiences. However, there seems to be a conservative streak in popular legal culture. For a start, stories need to be understandable to a broad audience, so that they should not deviate too much from people’s experiences and existing cultural patterns. Writers and directors often aim at if not high art, then at recognition of their works which comes with following in the footsteps of other artists. Yet, a simple repetition of the old would not be entertaining, therefore producers of popular legal culture must vary their products. They often resort to drawing on cases that are not yet settled in the court of public opinion, or on causes that are debated in society and the treatment of in film will attract an audience. In addition, there is a strong tradition of “social issue dramas” that seek to sway the audience in favour of social reform. As a result, the audience is presented with the possibility of a different reality, or in some cases, invited to contribute to legal reform. In this way, works of popular legal culture are a conservative force and a force for incremental change as well.

    30 Jun 2023

    Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
  • Lay Judges in the European Union – Developments

    The presentation at the 2023 "European Day of Lay Judges" in Sofia showed that lay judges are part of European legal culture. Most countries have lay judges in civil or criminal courts. The typical form lay participation takes are mixed courts where professional and lay judges collaborate. Other forms of lay participation include single judges/mediators and juries. The presentation continued to highlight the conditions under which there are changes in levels of lay participation.

    13 May 2023

    Links:

    Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)

2022

  • What do audiences learn from tv and film about law?

    A major part of the tv and film audience’s diet is formed by stories about crime and law. Focusing primarily on fiction, the paper discusses what audiences can learn from these. It draws on a range of social science and media theories but also on a series of studies the author has conducted in Germany and the UK. On balance, tv and film suggest that it is good to have law, courts, and other institutions as well as the various professions involved. A predominantly positive picture is drawn, despite the need to have worthy opponents, “injustice figures” to use the term of Nicole Rafter, to produce interesting drama. Some subgenres do, though, paint a darker picture, namely, court martial films and films after notorious legal cases. Nevertheless, all in all, the audience learns to trust in the law, its personnel and institutions, but not blindly.

    15 Jul 2022

    Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
  • Citizen Experiences and Trust in North Wales Police

    The presentation to police officers from Wales and Merseyside concentrates on introducing one study that aimed at the specific local and at the more general factors influencing trust in North Wales Police:

    Machura, Stefan, Jones, Stephanie O. P., Würgler, Alexandra, Cuthbertson, Joanna, and Hemmings, Alannah (2019). National Identity and Distrust in the Police: The Case of North West Wales. European Journal of Criminology, 16, 60-80.

    Article abstract: "Trust in the police, as defined by perceived procedural fairness, just decisions and effectivity, may be impacted by deep political divisions among the population, especially where citizens adopt opposing national identities. In Europe, North West Wales is one such area. Nationalism is intensified by language issues (Welsh vs. English) and historical experiences of UK institutions.

    A sample of 207 residents living within the local authority of Gwynedd were asked to take part in the study. A questionnaire survey addressed how much trust in the police ultimately depends upon national identity as expressed by preference for the Welsh language, trust in UK institutions and attitudes towards political symbols. Other factors tested included personal experience of the

    police, the influence of news reports and police TV series, as well as the perceived effectiveness of the police in addressing crime. Trust in UK institutions, preference for the Welsh language and news reporting were found to have most influence on trust in the police."

    30 Jun 2022

    Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
  • "Integrating teaching and research: Endeavours in visual criminology"

    The presentation shows how research and teaching can be integrated successfully. The presenter uses examples from his own work on "visual criminology". They range from confronting students with images and audio-visual material and observing their reactions during the teaching to conducting a full empirical study with an MA student seminar.

    27 Jun 2022

    Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
  • Law and Crime in the Opera. Reading Recorded Opera Like a Film

    It is very typical of opera that the drama unfolds with transgressions against the law or social norms, and that character flaws and societal corruption are revealed. Opera forms a very rich combination of theatre and music, drawing on orchestral music, song, acting, stage architecture, and a plethora of other dramaturgical devices. The resulting overwhelming effect on the audience may well balance out the pronounced artificiality of this form of art and leave a lasting message, the content of which will depend on factors identified in the law and popular culture literature. For the analysis of opera, we suggest making use of recorded operas and compare the meaning created in the different performances.

    17 Jun 2022

    Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
  • “Exploring the Impact & Implications of Covid-19 on the Youth Justice System”

    “Exploring the Impact & Implications of Covid-19 on the Youth Justice System”, Manchester Metropolitan University. From website: "On Wednesday 27th April 2022, the Manchester Centre for Youth Studies (MCYS), along with the Alliance for Youth Justice (AYJ), hosted the Exploring the Impact and Implications of Covid-19 on the Youth Justice System (YJS) – End of Project Event. This was a hybrid event, both in-person and online via Zoom, attended by professionals from across all parts of the YJS, some of whom had been interviewed as part of the research. The aim of the day was to share our research findings in relation to the impact of Covid-19 on the courts, community, and youth custody. It provided an opportunity for delegates to discuss the findings and their own experience of how Covid-19 has impacted on their work and future challenges for the YJS coming out of the pandemic. Additionally, there was an expert panel of youth justice professionals that took part in a lively audience ‘Questions and Answers’ session."

    27 Apr 2022

    Activity: Participation in Academic workshop, seminar, course (Participant)

2021

  • Engaging Diverse Communities with Welsh Law and Justice

    The talk deals with ways how the public can be engaged to take part in the discussion on the future legal system in Wales. It starts with an analysis of the development of society in Wales, different positions people take in relation to Welsh devolution, and the fragmented pattern in which society gets information on law and justice today.

    8 Oct 2021

    Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
  • Law and Crime in the Opera

    It is very typical of operas that the drama unfolds with transgression against the law and that character flaws and those of the society are revealed. Opera forms a very rich combination of theatre and music, drawing on orchestral music, song, acting, stage architecture, and a plethora of other dramaturgical devices. The resulting overwhelming effect on the audience may well balance out the pronounced artificiality of this form of art and leave a lasting message.

    22 Sep 2021

    Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
  • RCSL Working Group on Law and Popular Culture 2021 meeting

    Meeting of the RCSL Working Group on Law and Popular Culture, following on the day after the RCSL (Research Committee on Sociology of Law in the International Sociological Association) 2021 virtual conference.

    22 Sep 2021

    Links:

    Activity: Participation in Academic workshop, seminar, course (Organiser)
  • An Interactive „Crime and the Media” Module

    In the UK, teaching aspects of Crime and the Media is part of the model curriculum for criminology as a subject. The paper introduces a concept for a “Crime and the Media” module, as offered at Bangor University (Wales) for undergraduates. Its roots go back to a “Law in Film” module taught by the presenter at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (Germany), starting in 1995.

    A Crime and the Media module should take account of the findings from academic

    research and the students’ own contemporary experiences with media. The content of a module can be extraordinarily varied: drawing on different media from different times to highlight developments, and on examples from a range of countries.

    Students can be introduced to methods of systematic content analysis, for example, focusing on news values in news stories, or on entertainment values in films and tv series on crime.

    Through group discussions, student presentations, essays involving small-scale

    empirical research and other methods, students should be included as “active learners”.

    An additional attraction of such a module is that it supplements the lecturer’s own research on crime, media and audience reactions.

    9 Sep 2021

    Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
  • Recognising extreme exploitation: modern slavery and perceived injustice

    While it is true that the globalisation of supply chains has brought with it the problem of labour exploitation in foreign countries, “modern slavery” is also present in the United Kingdom. The UK has introduced a Modern Slavery Act in 2015. It won’t be effective if extreme forms of exploitation that fall under its remit go unrecognised. In an empirical study (Machura et al. 2019), students and police officers were given seven scenarios developed from real cases and the literature. It turns out that police officers recognise most of the scenarios, in contrast to students. Identifying situations as modern slavery appears related to strong moral disapproval, resulting in preferences for harsher punishment. Disapproval of injustice drives peoples’ reactions and, if the public are made more aware of the issue, can form the foundation of more successfully addressing this category of crimes.

    Literature: Machura, Stefan, Short, Fay, Hill, Victoria Margaret, Suddaby, Catherine Rhian, Goddard, Ffion Elena, Jones, Sophie Elisabeth, Lloyd-Astbury, Emma Louise, Richardson, Luke, Rouse, and Chernise, Alexandra (2019). Recognising Modern Slavery. Journal of Human Trafficking, 5, 201-219.

    9 Jul 2021

    Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
  • Lawyers at the Magistrates’ Court: Observations

    The lower criminal court in England and Wales is the Magistrates’ Court. Here, cases are heard by panels of lay judges, supported by a legal adviser, or – less frequently – by professional judges. The Magistrates’ Courts have undergone sweeping changes in recent years, mainly under the flag of cost efficiency. Trials are most often brief, and the defendants tend to be economically destitute, or otherwise socially disadvantaged. For lawyers, these circumstances provide a challenging environment that is decidedly glamourless.

    The presenter has conducted observations in Magistrates’ Courts in England and Wales, in city courts and in semi-rural and rural courts (Machura, in print). The observations revealed striking differences between the youth court and trials against adults. The presentation focuses on the constraints that the social setting at Magistrates’ Courts imposes on lawyers and how lawyers adapt to them.

    Literature: Machura, Stefan (in print). “… and my right” ̶ The Magistrates’ Courts in England and Wales. In Shari S. Diamond, Valerie Hans, Sanja Kutnjak Ivkovich and Nancy Marder (eds.), Juries, Lay Judges, and Mixed Courts: A Global Perspective, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    11 Jun 2021

    Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
  • 2021 Annual Meeting of the Law and Society Association

    Presentation "Lay Judges at Courts of Appeals" at the 2021 Annual Conference of the Law and Society Association. And participating in the conference.

    27 May 2021 – 30 May 2021

    Activity: Participation in Academic conference (Speaker)
  • Lay Magistrates in England and Wales in International Perspective

    The magistrates of England and Wales are a unique legal decision-making group, compared with lay decision-makers in other parts of the world. They differ from juries (such as criminal juries in the USA) and they differ from lay assessors in mixed courts (such as the Schöffengericht at the German lower criminal court). For example, they acquire much more court experience. The prestige of the office also differs fundamentally: being a US juror is not perceived as a special honour. German lay assessors (Schöffen) may feel a sense of honour for being selected. But being a magistrate (“Justice of the Peace”) is more clearly a highly esteemed position in English and Welsh society.

    The magistrates essentially are the court: because they are the decision-makers. So they can develop a feeling of belonging to their bench, whereas it is difficult for Schöffen and impossible for jurors to develop a feeling of belonging to the court.

    The decision-making powers given to the three types of lay decision makers vary considerably. German lay assessors have the same rights as the professional judge in a running court hearing and are involved in all decisions here, but they are not involved in the pretrial phase. The magistrates take pretrial decisions, and they have comprehensive powers in the main hearing. The US jury typically only hears the evidence the judge permits and the prosecutor and defense attorney present in arguing their cases. To summarize, these are three very different forms of lay participation and the magistrates in England and Wales wield the most power in the cases they handle.

    30 Mar 2021

    Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
  • Visual criminology

    Talk in the Seminar Series of the School of History, Philosophy and Social Sciences. Visual criminology as a field of research in criminology has been introduced. After a definition and an outline of the history of visual criminology and its relation to other areas of visual studies, examples of the methods of visual criminology and the findings they elicited have been presented.

    21 Mar 2021

    Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)

2020

  • Visual Criminology and Its Methods – An Assessment

    Visual criminology concerns itself with how crimes and society’s reaction to crime are depicted and perceived. Jeff Ferrell, Keith Haywood and Jock Young have been credited for creating the term „visual criminology“ in their 2008 book „Cultural Criminology: An Invitation“ (Rafter 2017, 60), although research in this area goes back for much longer. Indeed, at the turn of the millenium, in numerous subject areas there was an increased interest in for example, visual research methods, the representation of institutions in the media, popular culture, including popular legal culture, and the public display of power, deviance and control. Criminologists, social psychologists, legal scholars and sociologists of law among others started systematic research and began to include aspects into their teaching as well as their publication output. So varied are the strands of scholarship, that any attempt to a full and encompassing review is bound to fail. The paper will discuss and assess the methods used by scholars engaging with visual criminology. This will include the author’s own (Machura 2007) analysis scheme for law-related films and its transferability to other areas of study. Machura, S. (2007). An analysis scheme for law films. Baltimore law review, 36, 329-345. Rafter, N. (2017). Crime films and visual criminology. In M. Brown & E. Carrabine (Eds.), Routledge international handbook of visual criminology, (pp. 53-61). London: Routledge.

    11 Sep 2020

    Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)

2019

  • Shame - Shaming - Shamelessness

    Pesentation "Guilt and Shame in Popular Legal Culture: the German TV Movie "Die Konferenz"

    Abstract:

    Guilt and shame can be connected in a variety of ways. This is exemplified by the German TV film “Die Konferenz” (2004), which in the tradition of the classic American jury drama “12 Angry Men” (1957) has a conference of teachers deciding on the fate of a young man accused of raping a female student. The memorable plot and excellent acting in “Die Konferenz” further our understanding of the complexities involved in trying to find “truth” and “justice”.

    30 Nov 2019

    Activity: Participation in Academic conference (Speaker)
  • Milestones and Directions: Socio-Legal Studies in Germany and the UK

    Under the headings of “Rechtssoziologie” in Germany and “socio-legal studies” in the UK, scholarly traditions have developed that relate law to its social environment. The paper identifies key stages in the development the subject took in both countries and the directions of travel. The author takes his description of the German Rechtssoziologie (Machura 2012) as a starting point to find comparative milestones and directions in the UK. This includes the institutionalization of the subject along the lines of programmatic texts, inclusion into university education, establishment of research institutes, academic associations and specialised journals. Does the development tell something beyond sociology of law/socio-legal studies, namely about the relation of law and sociology, the parent subjects themselves, as well as about academic studies and professional/institutional practice?

    Machura, Stefan (2012). The German Sociology of Law: A Case of Path Dependency. International Journal of Law in Context, 8, 506-523.

    24 Sep 2019

    Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
  • Linking Generations for Global Justice

    Presentation on Law in German Film and Television and organizing two sessions on popular legal culture

    19 Jun 2019 – 21 Jun 2019

    Links:

    Activity: Participation in Academic conference (Speaker)
  • Laypersons in law

    Delivered key note "Laypersons - attitudes to, experiences with law".

    International conference organised by the French-German research institute Centre Marc Bloch in cooperation with Humboldt University Berlin

    8 May 2019

    Links:

    Activity: Participation in Academic conference (Speaker)
  • Tolstoy's War and Peace on Screen

    A discussion of the US/Italian and Soviet films based on Leo Tostoy's novel "War and Peace". The presentation highlights the differences of the films and traces them back to the forces governing film production in the 1950s in the USA and in the Soviet Union of the 1960s.

    28 Feb 2019

    Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)

2018

  • “Globalisierung der Rechtskultur – der Beitrag populärer Medien”

    English title: "Globalization of legal culture - the contribution of popular media".

    The presentation at the session "“Herausforderungen der Globalisierung – Soziologische und rechtssoziologische Perspektiven”, organised by the Sociology of Law Section of the German Sociological Association was invited by the section chair. Content of the presentation: The popular media project an idealized image of US or "Western" justice to a world-wide audience. The typical message amounts to an endorsement of the court system, the legal profession and generally a liberal concept of law. The audience member is even assigned a role: in any legal conflict, they are supposed to mobilise the (state) law.

    26 Sep 2018

    Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
  • Unterhaltungswert: Recht und Film in Fernsehen (Entertainment Value: Law and Film in Television)

    The presentation develops criteria for the entertainment value of law-related TV broadcasts. There are: conflict, violation of norms, humour, threats and rewards, representation of the viewers/identification, strong and weak authorities (heroes), discovery/mistery, self-reference, stories and believability. These factors can be endlessly varied and the producers can count on the viewing public's interest. In addition, law, legal personnel, and institutions tend to be portrayed positively. A liberal political perspective is being advocated.

    14 Sep 2018

    Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
  • Socio-legal studies in Germany

    I have been invited to present the German case at the Featured Session "Mapping the Current State at Socio-legal Studies II". My presentation covered the range of disciplines in the field and the different approaches taken to be heard by legal scholars. The Ehrlich-Kelsen debate and its historic effect was a key which has disadvantaged Sociology of Law. Lawyers have later taken a range of views how socio-legal studies can be integrated into the study of law. This ranges from the view that they are an integral part of a combined legal science, to being an "auxiliary", to not being relevant at all. The presentation also covered the problems of finding secure institutional ground for socio-legal studies at German universities.

    11 Sep 2018

    Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
  • Consumption and Effect of Law-related Media: Changing Patterns?

    The presentation at the "Developments in Popular Legal Culture II" panel contributed to the activities of the RCSL Working Group Law and Popular Culture. The author has conducted a number of studies over recent years that investigate people's opinion on the courts, lawyers and the police. In this context, as one of the explanatory variables, the consumption of law-related TV shows, and the influence of novels, TV and film has been tested. The presentation investigated if there is a change regarding the consumption and influence of those media.

    10 Sep 2018

    Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
  • Theoretical Tools to Understand Law in Film and Television

    After a lot of scholarly work went into discussion of individual films and shows, into genres and some into research methodology, it is about time to look at the theories that can be employed to illuminate this area of popular legal culture. Sociology of law has a surprising variety of approaches that can be of help here. They can be rounded up by theories developed in film studies.

    The systems theory of Niklas Luhmann states that society has its subsystems for law, media, art and so on and makes assumptions how systems are reacting to events and developments. It also consequentially defines society as world society, which chimes well with the international, almost universal appeal of some of the products of popular legal culture.

    Why do people take an interest in the depiction of the law anyhow? Here, we can draw on Durkheim’s sociological theory in which basically every member of society has an interest to see the key social norms upheld. Where there is increased social change, this motivation is only to get stronger. Later approaches add to this the fairness of procedures employed by the authorities and the qualities of decision-makers. All this is mirrored in numerous law-related films and TV shows.

    A theory of entertainment values can be used to understand what kind of stories on law are being told. It has similarities to Niklas Luhmann’s news value criteria among which conflict and deviance from norms are already mentioned.

    10 Sep 2018

    Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
  • “The Magistrates’ Courts in England and Wales”

    “Lay Magistrates in England and Wales”

    Lay Participation, Juries and Other Forms of Law Participation, Criminal justice,

    In England and Wales, numerous tribunals and courts have lay participation. The most prominent is certainly the jury. However, the greatest influence is arguably exerted by the Lay Magistrates who have some civil law responsibilities, but most importantly, all criminal cases pass through their courts. Today, developments such as the increasing use of professional judges in the Magistrates’ Courts to shift cases quickly, the proliferation of diversionary measures away from court trials and the closing down of many local, outlier court venues have left Magistrates concerned. Our presentation will focus not only on the environment in which the lay judges operate, but will also ask for the experiences that citizens have who appear at the Magistrates’ Courts.

    In England and Wales, numerous tribunals and courts have lay participation. The most prominent is certainly the jury. However, the greatest influence is arguably exerted by the Lay Magistrates. They have some civil law responsibilities, but most importantly, all criminal cases pass through their courts. Today, developments such as the increasing use of professional judges in the Magistrates' Courts to shift cases quickly, the proliferation of diversionary measures away from court trials and the closing of many local, outlier court venues have left Magistrates concerned.

    7 Jun 2018

    Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
  • Observations in Magistrates' Courts: Space and Interaction

    Stefan Machura

    Observations in Magistrates’ Courts: Space and Interaction

    I am reporting experiences from observations in Magistrates’ Courts, adult and juvenile section. Some of the observations were conducted with students as part of an MA research module. A key insight is that Magistrates’ Courts and the behaviour observed vary considerably. Some if it relates to the layout of the courtroom. Where defendants and professionals sit enables or disables their participation. This not only applies to the well-known issues around the us of “secure docks” for defendants.

    In addition, youth courts were found to facilitate procedurally just treatment of defendants much more than courts for adults. One could say they are less of a pure “object” of the procedure. Though, most of them are not mature enough to use this to their advantage. The more paternalistic action of the youth magistrates, the contributions of the YOT representatives and defence lawyers, just occasionally interventions of parents and of key workers of institutionalised defendants, fill in the gap left by the defendants’ weakness.

    In terms of sociological and social psychological theory, the observations resonate with procedural justice theory as put forward by Gerald Leventhal and Tom R. Tyler, but also with aspects of Niklas Luhmann’s theory of the court procedure.

    30 Apr 2018

    Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)

2017

  • Law and Film in 2017

    The talk provided an overview on how the academic field of "Law and Film" has developed up to 2017. It covered research methods and main findings. Aspects of film productions, the messages for the audience and the effect on audiences were covered.

    13 Oct 2017

    Links:

    Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
  • Driving under the Influence of Alcohol and Prescription Drugs”

    Drivers unfit to steer their vehicles form a major road hazard and they commit a crime. In February 2016, 423 students from Bangor University (Wales, UK) took part in a questionnaire study. They have been asked if they would be driving a car after a) drinking alcohol and b) when taking prescribed medication coming with a warning not to drive. A variety of variables are considered to explain the inclination to drive under those conditions. They include the inclination to engage in imprudent behaviour, perceived dangerousness of driving, and perceived legitimacy of the law. The results suggest that while inclination towards imprudent behaviour affects driving under the influence of medication, driving under alcohol is related to perceived general dangerousness of driving. Driving under medication is also related to legitimacy of law; the difference may come from how public discourse deals with the two types of behaviour.

    17 Sep 2017

    Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
  • Recognizing Modern Slavery

    “Modern Slavery” comprises of forms of extreme labour exploitation. With its Modern Slavery Law 2015, the UK is said to be at the forefront of international efforts to address the crime. But to be effective, members of the public and officers of government agencies need to be able to recognize situations as modern slavery. Students and police officers were given seven scenarios developed from real cases and the literature. It turns out that police officers recognise most of the scenarios, in contrast to students. Respondents were more likely to do so if they advocated more severe punishments. This supports the assumptions of thinkers like Emile Durkheim that violations of the law are responded to with moral judgements.

    6 Jul 2017

    Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
  • “Sociology on Sociology of Law as Empirical Science - The Case of Germany"

    Presentation of the German case on the roundtable “Sociology on Sociology of Law as Empirical Science”, Research Committee on Sociology of Law, International Sociological Association

    23 Jun 2017

    Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
  • “The Socio-legal Labour Market in the UK and Germany”

    Presentation for the Graduate Student Workshop at the conference

    20 Jun 2017 – 23 Jun 2017

    Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
  • Driving under the Influence of Alcohol and Prescription Drugs

    As for ESC Conference in Cardiff, September 2017

    15 May 2017 – 16 May 2017

    Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
  • “Recognising Modern Slavery”

    Students and police officers have been asked to participate in a questionnaire study in order to find out if they can recognise cases of modern slavery. Further questions aimed at identifying the antecedents.

    15 May 2017 – 16 May 2017

    Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)

2016

  • Abschaffung des Rechts?

    Fourth meeting of the German-speaking sociology of law associations (those from Austria, Germany and Switzerland). The conferences attract a wide spectrum of scholars from law, social sciences and related subjects. They are the leading events for them in those countries. There also are participants from neighbouring countries, including the UK:

    I have been a member of the programme committee and involved in the decisions leading up to the conference since 2016.

    1 Jan 2016 – 15 Sep 2018

    Links:

    Activity: Participation in Academic conference (Speaker)

2009

  • Bangor WISERD (Publisher)

    Co-editor of the “Menai Papers”

    2009 – 2012

    Activity: Editorial activity (Editorial board member)

2005

2004

2003

  • Lit Verlag (Publisher)

    “Gesellschaft und Recht” (Society and Law), book series, co-editor

    2003 →

    Activity: Editorial activity (Editorial board member)

2000

At Bangor University, Stefan Machura has conducted a series of empirical studies on the public perception of police and courts. The studies focus on citizen’s direct and indirect sources of information ranging from contacting police and appearing in court to the effects of popular TV series and of having family and friends in the police or the legal profession.

2015 and 2016, in collaboration with Penny Darbyshire (Kingston University), trials at youth courts were systematically observed and interviews with judges, lawyers, social workers and prosecutors, as well as experts, conducted. Stefan Machura continued these studies in the following years.

In 2016, Stefan Machura investigated the inclination of students to drive while under the influence of alcohol or of a prescription drug which comes with a warning that it impairs the ability to control a car. 

In collaboration with Fay Short (School of Psychology) and North Wales Police, Stefan Machura studied how police officers and members of the public react to cases constituting a breach of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. Data were sampled in the first half of 2017, resulting in more than 800 returned questionnaires. 

In 2023, in cooperation with North Wales Police, Gwent Police, the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales Police and partners from four universities, Stefan Machura has investigated the effects of national media coverage on local trust and confidence. The project was funded by the All-Wales Policing Academic Collaboration.