5. Statistics and Patterns of Offending - 4.1 Theorising Race and Criminality Flashcards
Who developed the left realist approach for ethnicity and crime?
Lea and Young
Core view of the left realist approach for ethnicity and crime
Do accept there are racist prejudices in the CJS but also believe statistical evidence is generally accurate enough to suggest there are real ethnic differences in crime
What crime is committed more by EMGs than whites? How do Lea and Young explain this?
Street crime. High EMG street crime can be explained by:
- marginalisation
- relative deprivation
- subcultures
What can racism lead to according the left realists? What is the effect of this?
It can lead to marginalisation.
This means those from EMGs face higher levels of underachievement, unemployment and low paid jobs.
This can lead to feelings of resentment and relative deprivation
What is one response to marginalisation and RD according to left realists?
The creation of deviant subcultures
Conclusion of Lea and Young’s approach
It would be surprising if there were not higher levels of crime in groups that are relatively deprived
Negative evaluation of the left realist approach to ethnicity and crime
If there is a correlation between ethnic crime and poverty, we would expect other ethnic groups to appear in high numbers in crime stats. This suggests left realists lack credibility
Neo Marxist view of OS on ethnicity and crime
Neo Marxists reject the view that OS reflect reality of ethnic offending
Neo Marxist view of ethnic patterns of offending
Patterns of offending is product of social construction that has created the belief that EMGs are more criminal than white people
Which neo-Marxist developed the anti-racist perspective?
Paul Gilroy
2 theories of ethnicity and crime developed by Gilroy
Myth of black criminality
Crime as a political resistance
What approach does Gilroy reject? Why?
He rejects the left realist approach, arguing that black criminality is a myth created by racist stereotypes of black Indociduals by the CJS. EMGs are more likely to be criminalised as the CJS acts on racist stereotypes (myth of black criminality)
According to Gilroy’s crime as a political resistance, what could crimes committed by black youths be a form of?
Could be a form of political resistance in response to colonial struggle
How does Gilroy link the Windrush to crime?
Migrants from the Windrush generation faced discrimination and EMG crime could still be seen as resistance and response to this
Criticisms of Gilroy by Lea and Young: lack of evidence
Evidence shows that only a small amount of EMGs take part in crimes of political resistance
Criticism of Gilroy by Lea and Young: first generation migrants
First generation migrants in 1950s were law abiding so it’s unlikely that EMG crime is a response to colonial struggle
Criticism of Gilroy by Lea and Young: key criticism
Lea and Young mainly criticise Gilroy for romanising ethnic crime as revolutionary
Which neo-Marxists developed the policing the crisis theory?
Stuart Hall et al
What did Hall et al study in the 1970s?
Studied the moral panic over the increasing rise in ‘muggings’ committed by black youths in the 1970s
What was the 1970s a period of?
A period of a capitalism crisis with high unemployment, industrial unrest, strikes, recession and high inflation
What do Hall et al mean by policing the crisis?
Hall et al argue that a moral panic was used to draw attention away from the capitalism crisis. This diversion helped reassert the dominance of the ruling class
3 positive evaluation points of Hall et al’s theory
Avoids over generalising crime and ethnicity
Looks at bigger picture
Places ethnicity and crime in context of social change
3 negative evaluation points of Hall et al’s theory
Doesn’t research motivations and thinking of black youths
May not longer be relevant
Contradictory as it suggests black crime wasn’t rising whilst claiming that unemployment was bringing about crime
What cultural factor may explain why blacks are over-represented in crime statistics?
Afro-Caribbean families have a high rate of one-parent households and some argue that the absence of a male role model explains why there is an over-representation of young black men in the CJS
Negative evaluation of cultural factors
Some suggests that fathers play a positive role without being present
