Crime and ethnicity Flashcards
What’s the trend of crime and ethnicity?
-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
Girloy and Briges- Why is ethnic minority crime considered a political act?
Response to supression faced by black people for revenge, tipping point
-Black people excluded from organised political structure e.g. parties and trade union so no bills being passed to prevent opression, leading to ‘violent’ protests to get to protction
Examples of racism as political acts?
BLM
-Friends and family of stephen lawrence
-Both able to achieve political sucess e.g double jepordy ruiling
Critics of racism of political act?
-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
Formation of subcultures- what did Bourgois study?
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
Bourgouis- what’s the alternative economy?
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
Bourgois- consequences of deviant behaviour?
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
Who is our left realism sociologist?
Lea and Young
Lea and Young- 3 elements of crime?
Marginality
Relative deprivation
Subcultures
Lea and young- what marginality?
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
Lea and young- what is relative deprivation?
Black youths have high aspirations for material goods and style of life
But relatively the reality is the are unlikely to achieve aspirations legally
Lea and young- what is subcultures?
Young blacks respond differently to the mismatch between aspirations and the constraints of reality
they drift towards petty crime
Lea and young- Why is there lower asian crime?
Greater economic success
Stronger family and community
Distinct culture
Lea and young Asian- greater economic success?
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
Lea and young Asian- stronger family and community?
Strong family controls
So limiting their opportunity’s to commit deviant acts
Lea and young Asian- distinct culture?
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
What does Fitzgerald say about ethnicity and social class?
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
What us explanation 2 of crime and ethnicity?
The CJS is institutionally racist so statistics are inaccurate
Racism within CJS- Bowling and Phillips, what’s institutional racism?
Procedures, practices and culture that excludes or disadvantages non white people
Racism within CJS- How has the police attempted to reduce racism since the Macpherson report, have their attempts been successful?
Training to raise awareness
Recruiting more ethnic minorities
-Attempts haven’t been successful 4% or police officers ethnic minority
Racism within CJS Reiner- Canteen culture?
Police have established working values and strong collective identity’s
This is due to the pressure and isolation its like a canteen
Racism within CJS, stop and search Bowling and Phillips?
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
Racism within CJS- difference between ethnic minority’s and white arrest and sentences?
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
Marxist- Hall on ethnicity?
-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
