Crime and ethnicity

Question 1

What’s the trend of crime and ethnicity?

Answer 1

-Despite making up 4% of the population, 13% of prison population are black
-Black and asians on average are sentenced to an extra 10 months in prison than white
-Black individuals serve the highest percentage of their sentence compared to any other ethnic group

Question 2

Why is ethnic minority crime considered a political act?

Answer 2

Response to supress black people for revenge
-Crime represents organised resistance to the authorities
Drawing upon traditions to the anti colonial struggle, Black criminality is viewed from this perspective as form of politics not recognise to outsider but not that of the oppressed
-Black people excluded from organised political structure e.g. parties and trade union

Question 3

Examples of racism as political acts?

Answer 3

BLM

Question 4

Critics of racism of political act?

Answer 4

-Low rates of west india, high crime rates only in 2nd and 3rd gen immigration, if this was the anticolonial why were first gen so law abiding
-Black people commiting crimes as a way of political struggle, no evidence for widespread of black youths
Black youth follows the values and aspirations of wider society so instead of opposition they conform, one must be suspicious when experts can read meaning into behaviour of what participants themselves may be totally unaware

Question 5

Formation of subcultures- what did Bourgois study?

Answer 5

Studies a deprived area in east Harlem NY
Spent 7 yrs living researching street life and economy of El Barrio whos inhibate where puerto rican, illegal mexican immigrants and african americans

Question 6

Bourgouis- what’s the alternative economy?

Answer 6

Developed due to the exclusion of ethical minority in the economy and negative opinions they faced
AE- legal and illegal activity’s such as drug sales, kerbside car repairs and inner city street culture

Question 7

Bourgois- consequences of deviant behaviour?

Answer 7

Bad lifestyle of substance abuse, violence and iterlanised rage
Drawn to addiction destroying family and community
Search for dignity in a distinct culture leading to worsening of situation
-Led to exclusion and racism

Question 8

Who is our left realism sociologist?

Answer 8

Lea and Young

Question 9

Lea and Young- 3 elements of crime?

Answer 9

Marginality
Relative deprivation
Subcultures

Question 10

Lea and young- what marginality?

Answer 10

Young blacks can be less successful in education with a low level of unemployment
If they are in jobs they are low paid, so occupy a position on being on the edge of society

Question 11

Lea and young- what is relative deprivation?

Answer 11

Black youths have high aspirations for material goods and style of life
But relatively the reality is the are unlikely to achieve aspirations legally

Question 12

Lea and young- what is subcultures?

Answer 12

Young blacks respond differently to the mismatch between aspirations and the constraints of reality
they drift towards petty crime

Question 13

Lea and young- Why is there lower asian crime?

Answer 13

Greater economic success
Stronger family and community
Distinct culture

Question 14

Lea and young Asian- greater economic success?

Answer 14

Survey for the office for national statistic 1996
high levels of success amongst indian family
May not be correct in UK Indians have highest number of unemployment at 12% compared to white 8% and yet they still have lower crime rates

Question 15

Lea and young Asian- stronger family and community?

Answer 15

Strong family controls
So limiting their opportunity’s to commit deviant acts

Question 16

Lea and young Asian- distinct culture?

Answer 16

Black crime rates are high because the young blacks embrace british culture so are bitter when they fail
Asians have more distinct culture so less likely to feel marginalised of suffer from relative deprivation

Question 17

What does Fitzgerald say about ethnicity and social class?

Answer 17

Claims that the fact that black criminals are male
More likely from lone parent families and lower class is much more significant in causing crime then their ethnicity

Question 18

What us explanation 2 of crime and ethnicity?

Answer 18

The CJS is institutionally racist so statistics are inaccurate

Question 19

Racism within CJS- Bowling and Phillips, what’s institutional racism?

Answer 19

Procedures, practices and culture that excludes or disadvantages non white people

Question 20

Racism within CJS- How has the police attempted to reduce racism since the Macpherson report, have their attempts been successful?

Answer 20

Training to raise awareness
Recruiting more ethnic minorities
-Attempts haven’t been successful 4% or police officers ethnic minority

Question 21

Racism within CJS Reiner- Canteen culture?

Answer 21

Police have established working values and strong collective identity’s
This is due to the pressure and isolation its like a canteen

Question 22

Racism within CJS, stop and search Bowling and Phillips?

Answer 22

Black and asian more likely to be stopped and searched compared to white
-There may be less open targeting of ethnic minority’s now but theirs still stereotypes and prejudice
-In valid due to demographic fact, ethnic minority’s community’s more likely to be young, unemployed and in the city

Question 23

Racism within CJS- difference between ethnic minority’s and white arrest and sentences?

Answer 23

Arrest- More likely to be black, more likely to remain silent, get lawyers and deny officers causing suspicions of the police as unjust arrest less likely to be white
Sentenced- white more likely to be convicted indirectly, but black immediate custodial sentenced

Question 24

Marxist- Hall on ethnicity?

Answer 24

-1970 media created moral panic concerning mugging
-Muggers stereotyped as black young males
-Moral panic justified repressive policing and turned the w/c against each other
-At the time, strikes and public protest was common and a problem from capitalism the govt needed to use force against protesters
-Because of the percienced problem of mugging the public were more supportive of harsh repressive policing, police clamping down on problem amplified deviance

Question 25

Ethnicity and victimisation- what wee the chances of ethnic group crime compared to white?

Answer 25

EM- 7.2% vs 5% of White
Chances of homicide higher for ethnic minority
EM- homicide 11% 9% white

Question 26

Ethnicity and victimisation- reason for trend if ethnic minority and white?

Answer 26

Higher victimisation the result of high proportions of minority ethnic groups living in the city

Question 27

Ethnicity and victimisation- What is the trend regarding hate crime?

Answer 27

The per capita rates of rcially motivated offences are higher outside of motivared offences especially in rural areas low