Semester

Spring

Date of Graduation

2012

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MA

College

Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Sociology and Anthropology

Committee Chair

Corey Colyer.

Committee Co-Chair

Jason Manning

Committee Member

Rachel Stein

Abstract

This research is a qualitative analysis of digital piracy at the height of Napster in 1999. The findings support the notion that technology has given rise to several new techniques of neutralization. In some cases these techniques are completely new and in others they are 21st century updates to traditional techniques. Furthermore, this research uses forum posts from USENET to determine that guardianship as created by Cohen and Felson's Routine Activities Theory is uniquely connected to neutralization based on two unique guardianship qualities, authority and capacity.

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