Adopting the point of view of the other: armed robbery as seen by robbers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

This article is based on interviews with robbers (“assaltantes”) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with the aim of exploring the technologies of robbery, i.e. their techniques for subjugating their victims. Based on George Herbert Mead’s concepts of adopting the other’s point of view and Bubandt and Willerslev’s tactical empathy, the five phases of robbery are examined. The article thus offers a robber’s perspective on the techniques used to (1) assume or take the role of the other, (2) identify victims’ vulnerabilities, and (3) obtain coerced consent.