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Playing it by the rules: Local bans on the public use of soft drugs and the production of shared
spaces of everyday life
Chevalier, D.A.M.
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Citation for published version (APA):
Chevalier, D. A. M. (2015). Playing it by the rules: Local bans on the public use of soft drugs and the production
of shared spaces of everyday life.
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Download date: 26 Feb 2021
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Playing It
by the Rules
Danielle A.M. Chevalier
Local Bans on the Public Use of Soft Drugs and the
Production of Shared Spaces of Everyday Life
D
anielle A
.M
. C
hevalier Playing It by the Rules
Uitnodiging
voor het bijwonen van de
openbare verdediging van
mijn proefschrift
Playing It
by the Rules
Local Bans on the
Public Use of Soft Drugs
and the Production of
Shared Spaces of Everyday Life
op vrijdag 26 juni 2015,
te 10.00 uur
in de Agnietenkapel aan de
Oudezijds Voorburgwal 229-231
te Amsterdam
Danielle Chevalier
Playing It
by the Rules
Local Bans on the Public Use of
Soft Drugs and the Production
of Shared Spaces of Everyday Life
In a nutshell, this book is about for-
ma li zed social control in public space;
it examines the different ways shared
public spaces of everyday life are used
and perceived, focusing on the manner
in which the urge to control such space
is operationalized, and how in turn for-
malized control effects the way space is
produced and used. It does so triggered
by the investigation of an archetypical
Dutch phenomenon: local bans on the
public use of soft drugs.
Danielle A.M. Chevalier
Danielle Chevalier (1973) studied Law
and Cultural Anthropology at Utrecht
University. After graduation, she gained
a broad expertise in several positions
at the national government. Danielle
continued her career as a consultant
specialized in social issues and then
returned to university to pursue a PhD.
She conducted her current research at
the Bonger Institute for Criminology
and the Amsterdam Institute for Social
Science Research, both linked to the
University of Amsterdam.
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Playing It
by the Rules
Local Bans on the Public Use of Soft Drugs and the
Production of Shared Spaces of Everyday Life
Danielle A.M. Chevalier
207758-L-bw-Chevalier207758-L-bw-Chevalier207758-L-bw-Chevalier207758-L-bw-Chevalier
Title in Dutch: Het volgens de regels spelen. Lokale verboden op het publiek gebruik
van soft drugs en de productie van gedeelde ruimten voor alledaags gebruik.
This research was jointly initiated and financially supported by the Faculty of Social
and Behavioural Sciences and the Faculty of Law, University of Amsterdam.
Copyright © 2015 Danielle Chevalier
All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form
without the prior written permission of the author.
Cover design: KAZEZE Design, www.kazeze.nl
Printing: Ipskamp Drukkers, Enschede
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Playing It
by the Rules
Local Bans on the Public Use of Soft Drugs and the
Production of Shared Spaces of Everyday Life
ACADEMISCH PROEFSCHRIFT
ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor
aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam
op gezag van de Rector Magnificus
prof. dr. D.C. van den Boom
ten overstaan van een door het college voor promoties ingestelde
commissie, in het openbaar te verdedigen in de Agnietenkapel
op vrijdag 26 juni 2015, te 10.00 uur
door
Danielle Antoinette Marguerite Chevalier
geboren te Delft
207758-L-bw-Chevalier207758-L-bw-Chevalier207758-L-bw-Chevalier207758-L-bw-Chevalier
Promotiecommissie:
Promotores: Prof. dr. D.J. Korf
Prof. dr. J.C. Rath
Overige leden: Prof. dr. mr. T. Blom
Prof. dr. J.P.L. Burgers
Prof. dr. W.G.J. Duyvendak
Prof. dr. mr. A.J.C. de Moor-van Vught
Prof. dr. S. Watson
Faculteit der Maatschappij- en Gedragswetenschappen
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207758-L-bw-Chevalier207758-L-bw-Chevalier207758-L-bw-Chevalier207758-L-bw-Chevalier
Contents
1. Introduction 9
The Appearance of a Peculiar Phenomenon 11
Init ial Empirical Research Questions 14
Theoretical Continuation 17
Plan of the Book 20
2. Local Bans on the Use of Soft Drugs
in Public Space 23
Dutch Drug Policy 24
The National Survey 31
Juridical Issues 39
3. Methodology 47
Research Strategy and Case Study Selection 48
Data Collection 51
Data Analysis 56
Research Validity 58
4. Introducing the Case Studies 65
The Neighborhood Playground 68
The Local Shopping Square 82
The Vil lage Green 95
The Cases Compared 105
5. The Spatial Angle 109
Shared Spaces of Everyday Life 111
The Production of Space 122
The Dynamics of Space 129
In Conclusion 136
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6. From a Juridical Perspective 139
The Relationship between Law and Society 140
The Concept Juridification 147
The Dynamics of Juridification 157
In Conclusion 162
7. The Working of the Bans 165
The Legal Working of the Bans 168
The Social Working of the Bans 180
The Symbolic Working of the Bans 187
In Conclusion 193
8. In Conclusion: Playing It by the Rules 197
A Peculiar Phenomenon 198
The Legal and the Spatial 205
Playing It by the Rules 212
Epilogue 215
References 217
Summary 227
Samenvatting 231
Acknowledgements 245
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1. Introduction
1.1 The Appearance of a Peculiar Phenomenon
1.2 Initial Empirical Research Questions
1.3 Theoretical Continuation
1.4 Plan of the Book
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1. Introduction
‘Police reports clearly indicate that for some years now the district has been experiencing
nuisance from groups of youths smoking joints. Broadly speaking, the nuisance consists of
loitering and urinating in doorways, obstructing the access to residences, plastering doors,
spitting and scoffing at residents and passersby, littering, yelling, etc. The adolescents
threaten residents who request them to leave, vandalize property, provoke fights, and also
brawl amongst themselves. From the area concerned, due complaints have been received from
residents and entrepreneurs, by telephone and written communication, and via a signed
petition. Adding to the issues is that in De Baarsjes1 several coffeeshops2 are located in each
other’s vicinity, which draw in youths from the Westelijke Tuinsteden,3 where few cof-
feeshops can be found. Amongst these youths are many minors, who hang about the cof-
feeshops and buy soft drugs4 off others old enough to buy in the coffeeshops.’5
In 2006 a ban on using soft drugs was installed on Mercatorplein, a square in the De
Baarsjes district in Amsterdam.6 The citation above was taken from the municipal
document presenting the arguments to install this ban on that particular square. It
was not the first ban of its kind, but it did receive extensive national and interna-
tional media coverage. In part the media attention was enhanced by the evocative
municipal sign that was designed to announce the ban. The sign is round with a
large red banner and depicts a joint held between two fingertips. The joint is alight
and in the smoke coming from the burning tip little hemp plants
