Bag politics and ‘Wall’ Street capital: the role of social capital in social supply networks and broader society amongst privileged persons who use cocaine

ABSTRACT

Drawing on ethnographic data on the use and supply of cocaine in Hong Kong among privileged expatriates, we examine how members of the subculture enter into and navigate the fluid yet instrumental social supply networks and learn “bag politics” (the negotiation of using, obtaining, and sharing drugs). At the heart of “bag politics” lies a process of developing, sustaining, and strengthening one’s social capital within and beyond social supply networks. Our research builds upon theoretical arguments in the Bordieuan application to the criminological context of drug markets, looking specifically at “street capital” and “street social capital”. We show that “street social capital” can develop and be used in illicit settings beyond low socio-economic and marginalized communities. In looking at other socio-economic contexts, we raise the possibility that “street capital” and “street social capital” may facilitate rather than obstruct opportunities to succeed in broader society. We argue that within social supply networks among privileged expatriates, the development of “street social capital” provides opportunities for social and economic benefits both within and beyond the subculture. Finally, we argue that the desire to forge and develop such capital is a motiving factor to use and socially supply cocaine.

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the participants of Lowe’s (2020) research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kate. F.A. Lowe

Kate. F.A. Lowe holds the position of Postdoctoral Fellow within the Centre for Criminology at the University of Hong Kong. Her research focuses on drug use and supply, risk (edgework), gender and harm reduction in Asia. Kate completed her PhD in Sociology at The University of Hong Kong in 2020. Her thesis focused on the hidden use of cocaine amongst privileged expatriates in Hong Kong. Her postdoctoral research builds on understandings of drug use supply within hidden populations during the global pandemic. Before her PhD, she qualified as a barrister in the UK.

Karen. A.J. Laidler

Karen. A. Joe- Laidler is Professor of Sociology at the University of Hong Kong. Her recent research focuses on drugs, stalking, and fraud. She has been involved in criminological research since the 1980s, working with nonprofit organizations and government agencies in Northern California. She moved to Hong Kong in the 1990s, observing the city’s drug market over the past two decades. She is completing a 20 year follow-up study on the city’s drug market. She also works with local, regional and global partners to research and provide training on harm reduction and drug policy.