Crime and Ethnicity

Question 1

Ministry of Justice findings on Black people

Answer 1

2x more likely to be cautioned
3x more likely to be arrested
More likely to get longer prison time

Question 2

What did the House of Commons Report (1972) find?

Answer 2

Crimes for black people no different than white people

Question 3

Neo-Marxist Gilroy (1982)

Answer 3

Crime by black people in 70’s was a political rebellion from racism and oppression. He doesn’t think they do commit more crimes and that its just a myth from police and media; blacks labelled as muggers and asians as immigrants

Question 4

Crisis of hegemony

Answer 4

Political and economic crisis which threatened power of ruling class. Therefore they promoted idea black people were more likely to be criminal through crime stats causing a moral panic.

Question 5

Criticisms of crisis of hegemony

Answer 5

• Still occurs now
• He used own interpretation
• Most crimes are reported by the public

Question 6

Labelling, stereotyping and racism

Answer 6

Labelling theory: crime stats are misleading and there is evidence of selective law enforcement

Question 7

Indirect racial discrimination

Answer 7

Mistrust of police mean less likely to admit

Question 8

Direct racial discrimination

Answer 8

Police are able to exercise own judgement, such as in the case of Stephen Lawrence. However, this case introduced the Criminal Justice act 2003 meaning defendants can be tried twice for same offence and police have less influence.

Question 9

Left realist approach

Answer 9

Accepts that black crime for some offences is higher than white population. 3 factors why:

1. Marginality: Lack of employment, low pay
2. Relative deprivation
3. Subculture: Marginality and relative deprivation combine and contribute formation of subcultures.