CAGE and crime Flashcards
Which sociologists argue that the police are racist?
AO1/2
- Hall: during the ‘winter of discontent’ in the 1980s (grave diggers and refuse workers went on strike, economic recession, and The Troubles) there was a crisis of hegemony. The media amplified existing deviancy and created a moral panic - ‘the myth of the black mugger’. This made the police target more black people thus causing them to be overepresented in crime statistics
- Becker: the police are institutionally racist moral entrepeneurs - they actively choose to target specific groups and label them as deviant
- Cicourel: police use typifications to find ‘typical’ delinquents - young, WC, ethnic minority, boys
How can we analyse the police being racist?
AO3
- In 2019 12.3% of the prison population was black despite being only 3.4% of the population
What is Gilroy’s view?
AO1/2
- Most Black and Asians in the UK originate from former British colonies, where anti-colonial struggles taught them how to resist oppression, e.g. through riots and demonstrations
- Ethnic minorities have been historically mistreated in the UK e.g. ‘no dogs, no blacks, no Irish
- Their crime is a response to racist society e.g. 2011 London Riots
How can we analyse Gilroy?
AO3
BLM Riots: response to institutionsl police racism - tearing down Edward Colston statue in Bristol to express anger at racist white society
What sociologists say the way the CJS handles matters is racist?
AO1/2
- Philips and Bowing: black men are 5-8x more likely to be stopped and searched than white men. They were also more likely to be arrested. This is because of overpolicing in inner city areas
- Reiner: ‘canteen culture’ - the police fosters ideas of racism, cynicism, suspicion and contempt for the public
What is an example of the CJS handling matters in a racist way?
AO2
1993 Stephen Lawrence murder:
- Police tried to treat it as a gang fight rather than an unprovoked racist attack
- Dwayne Brodes, friend of Stephen, was treated as a suspect rather than a witness
- It took until 2012 for just 2 of the 5 murderers to be arrested
- 1999 MacPherson Inquiry: coined the idea that the policee were instituionally racist
How can we analyse the CJS being institutionally racist?
AO3
- 2022 Baroness Casey Report: there is still institutional racism in the police force
- Graham and Bowling conducted self-report studies on their own dishonest and violent behaviour and found that out of the sample of 2,500 people blacks (43%) and whites (44%) had similar levels of crime - suggests black people are just more likely to get caught
- Asian people are 3 times more likely to be stopped and searched due to the Terrorism Act of 2000 which gave police the right to do so
- Black men are 7 times more likely to be stopped and searched
How can we evaluate the CJS being institutionally racist?
AO3
- Waddington et al: conducted a content analysis of CCTV footage and interviews with police and found that stop and search was NOT racially biased. Ethnic minorities are more likely to be stopped and searched as they live in inner city areas which have more crime and police presence. They also tend to be younger and younger people are more likely to be stopped and searched
- Fitzgerald and Hough: in their 2001 Policing for London Survey found that disatisfaction with the police was highest among young people, black suspects, and those in poor areas
- Current society is not experiencing a crisis of hegemony in the way Hall’s was when he was writing. However, there is now a new crisis: inflation >10%, teachers and doctors are on strike, and migrants on small boats are being used as scapegoats
- Gilroy is imposing his own interpretations of the meaning of black crime
What is Lea and Young’s view?
AO1/2
- While there may be institutional police racism, it is too minimal to account for the statistical differences in crime across ethnicity
- EMs commit more crime as they’re more likely to experience relative deprivation, marginalisation, and join criminal subcultures
- Given our ‘bulimic society’ EMs have more pressure to consume now than ever
- But they are less likely to be able to consume, this increasing feelings of relative deprivation and so causing them to turn to crime
- Also the media EMs tend to consume e.g. rap, grime, drill promotes wealth drug taking and violence which increases criminality
What is Sewell’s theory?
AO1
Triple Quandry:
1. Black boys feel rejected by white society e.g. teachers and police directly targetting them. E.g. 4x more likely to be excluded and 7x more likely to be stopped and searched
2. Black boys peers feel the same way. This leads them to form criminal subcultures with their own criminal norms and values which reinforce their views on white society
3. Black boys also use the media as a source of role models. The media promotes an ‘MTV culture’ of a ‘bling lifestyle’ based upon money, misogyny, and drugs. They turn to crime to achieve this lifestyle
What are the risk factors for black male crime according to Sewell?
AO2
- Mainstream culture working against their image
- The influence of media promoting criminal lifestyles and/or unattainable lifestyles
- Family structure: 60% of them live with one parent, usually the mother. This means they lack male role models, are more likely to experience poverty, and are easier targets for gang leaders
How can we analyse Sewell?
AO3
In 2020 only 40% of black boys got a grade 5 and above in English and Maths when the average was 49.9%
What was Sewell’s solution?
AO2
Generating Genius programme:
- Started in 2006 and is still ongoing
- 25 black boys from failing schools were selected to spend 3 weeks working with scientists at top universities
- They got great GCSE resultss and 3 went on to Oxbridge
How can we evaluate Sewell?
AO3
- Very small sample of only 25 boys - can’t conclude that this is the issue/solution for all black boys as findings are unrepresentative and ungeneralisable
- White working class underachievement is currently worse that black WC so his explanations for black WC can’t be that valid as these boys also experience relative deprivation and many come from broken homes but aren’t overrepresented in crime statistics in the same way as black people are
- Ignores black girls
- Deterministic - consuming media doesn’t mean you’ll take on its values
What is Nightingale’s theory and how does it link to Merton?
AO1/2/3
Paradox of Inclusion:
- Today’s society has a huge focus on consumerism and people want to keep up with the latest trends
- People are judged for not keeping up
- To avoid judgement black boys innovate illegitimate opportunities to be able to consume and so be accepted by white society
- Paradox = makes them more likely to be arrested thus leaving them more excluded
Link to Merton: these black boys fall under the group - innovators who use illegitimate means to achieve society’s goals
