Wasted Lives

The Social Exclusion of Older Triads Who Use Drugs in the Hong Kong Illegal Employment Market
1. Auflage 2026
ISBN: 978-1-032-36571-8
Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Buch, Englisch, 188 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm

Reihe: Routledge Studies in Crime and Justice in Asia and the Global South

Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and in-depth interviews in Hong Kong, this book offers an investigation of the lives of older triad members who use drugs, focusing on their social exclusion within the underground criminal economy.

Situated in the Driftwood Bay district—a site often represented as a “crime hub”—the study reveals how historical, political, and social factors intertwine legal and illegal livelihoods for marginalized individuals navigating both legitimate and illicit networks. Through detailed analysis of their criminal trajectories, shifting notions of respectability, and roles within the underground employment and arrest avoidance markets, the book uncovers how older drug-using triads experience gradual exclusion from the criminal world. It highlights the complex dynamics of respect, social status, and survival strategies, illustrating how these men oscillate between persistence and desistance amid structural constraints. By integrating literature on social exclusion, substance abuse, and organized crime, the book sheds light on the broader societal issues of marginalization, aging, and criminal justice. It offers valuable insights for scholars and practitioners in Criminology, Sociology, Gerontology, Asian Studies, and related fields, as well as those working in social services, drug rehabilitation, and law enforcement. This work challenges prevailing stereotypes and calls for more inclusive approaches to address the vulnerabilities of aging populations involved in illicit economies.

The book will be of great interest to students and scholars in the fields of Criminology, Gerontology, Drug studies, Sociology and Asian Studies. It will also appeal to practitioners in Elderly Services, Drug Rehabilitation and Criminal Justice, such as Social Workers, Police Officers, and Prison Officers.

Zielgruppe

Academic, Postgraduate, and Undergraduate Advanced

Autoren/Hrsg.

Shing Cheng, Vincent

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Soziologie Allgemein
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Altersgruppen Alterssoziologie
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Spezielle Soziologie Stadt- und Regionalsoziologie
• Interdisziplinäres Wissenschaften Wissenschaften Interdisziplinär Regionalwissenschaften, Regionalstudien
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Spezielle Soziologie Kriminalsoziologie
• Rechtswissenschaften Strafrecht Kriminologie, Strafverfolgung

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction 1. Illegal employment market in Driftwood Bay  2. Criminal career of the old people in Driftwood Bay  3. Triad membership, formal, and generational hierarchy 4. Generating respect: The crime boss and his crew 5. Disposable but not despicable Conclusion

Über Autor(innen)

Vincent Cheng is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Social Sciences at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. His current research is about older offenders and older people who use drugs in Hong Kong. He has published in journals like Punishment and Society, Child & Family Social Work, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, Journal of Drug Issues, Asian Journal of Law and Society, and China Journal of Social Work. He has received honorary mention in the 2020 ACS Distinguished Book Award of Asian Criminology Society. He has been appointed as Centre Fellow by the Centre for Criminology of the University of Hong Kong.