Ethnicity

Question 1

Why do ethnic minorities appear to commit more crime?

Answer 1

Real ethnic differences in offending

Ethnic differences are socially constructed

More recent approaches

Question 2

Ao1 real ethnic differences in offending
Left realism

Answer 2

Lea and young argue that differences in offending reflect stats with the real differences in offending
See crime as a product of relative deprivation subcultures and marginalisation
Acknowledge that police racism has led to the unjustified criminalisation of some groups, but they do not think this can fully explain ethnic differences in offending
Similarly police racism cannot explain the much higher rate or convection of black people than Asians
Police would have to be selectively racist against black people but not Asians to cause the differences

Question 3

Ao3 ethnic differences in offending

Answer 3

Ethnic minorities are overrepresented in the groups that are more likely to be stopped and searched regardless of the ethnicity for example, the young , Unemployed and those living in urban areas
This means there may not be a real ethnic differences in a rates of offending

Furthermore these stereotypes may have changed since 911 because the police now regard Asians as dangerous therefore explaining the rising criminalisation rates with these groups

Question 4

Ao1 ethnic differences are socially constructed

Answer 4

Gilroy argues that black criminality is a myth created by racist stereotypes
In reality, black groups are no more criminal and the stats are product of labelling
Ethnic minority crime is a form of political resistance against racist society

Most black people originated in former British colonies where their anti-colonial struggles taught them how to resist oppression for example through riots and demonstrations

When they faced racism in Britain, they adopted the same forms of struggle, but their struggle was criminalised by the British state

Question 5

Ao3 ethnic differences are socially constructed

Answer 5

Left realists Lea and young point out those first generation immigrants were law abiding so it was unlikely that the anti-colonial struggle was a tradition passed through generations

Most Crime is intra ethnic so not a struggle against the white oppression
Gilroy romanticises street crime as revolutionary

Question 6

Ai1 more recent approaches

Answer 6

Sociologist have offered other explanations for ethnic differences in crime rates, including ethnic minority neighbourhoods being more likely to live in poor areas with high crime rates

Fitzgerald Found that the role of the neighbourhood explained the greater involvement of black youth in Street robbery
They found out rates were highest in poor areas
And where very deprived young people came into contact with more affluent groups

Young blacks were more likely to live in these areas and be poor

Question 7

Ao3 more recent approaches

Answer 7

However, whites affected by these factors were also more likely to commit street crimes therefore ethnicity was not a cause

However, black people may be more likely to live in poor areas because of the racial discrimination in the housing and job markets