Ethnicity and Crime

Question 1

What are the 4 theories that seek to explain why ethnic minorities commit more crime?

Answer 1

• strain and anomie within black communities
• left realist theories
• triple quandary theory
• control theory

Question 2

According to Cashmore (1989), how do black communities feel strain and anomie?

Answer 2

Many young ethnic minorities face blocked opportunities, this can include; racist labelling. Black boys are more likely to be excluded making them less successful in education reducing employment opportunities. Also more likely to face racist behaviour in society, for example stop and search searches

Question 3

According to Cashmore (1989), how do black communities feel a sense of anomie? (strain and anomie)

Answer 3

Black individuals are confused as to what norms they ought to follow in society, this is because norms and values are controlled by a white majority, yet black people do not appear to benefit from said norms. Therefore they use innovation as a means of achieving materialistic gain

Question 4

Evaluation of the view that black individuals are more likely to feel strain and anomie?

Answer 4

-not specific to black males

Question 5

According to Lea and Young, what is the left realist explanation as to why ethnic minorities are more likely to commit crime?

Answer 5

They propose three reasons:

1. relative deprivation
2. marginalisation
3. deviant subcultures

Question 6

According to Lea and Young, how do ethnic minorities suffer from relative depreivation? (left realist)

Answer 6

White majority are more likely to benefit from privilege such as easier access to employment which ethnic minorities do not enjoy. Leads to a lower standard of living for ethnic minorities leading to relative deprivation

Question 7

According to Lea and Young, how are ethnic minorities more likely to suffer from marginalisation? (left realist)

Answer 7

This is a sense of feeling socially excluded. Ethnic minorities are made to feel unwelcome due to factors such as racism and discrimination, perpetuated through media (dehumanising language). Leads to some individuals lashing out against a society that has excluded them

Question 8

According to Lea and Young, how are black males more susceptible to joining deviant subcultures? (left realist)

Answer 8

Young boys are able to create a subcultural community whereby they are made to feel welcome. They invert the norms of normal society and engage in deviant behaviour

Question 9

According to Lea and Young, how is there * a lack of* racism within the criminal justice system? (left realist)

Answer 9

The majority of crimes that ethnic minorities commit are referred to the police by members of the public rather than stop and search

Question 10

Evaluation of the left realist view that ethnic minorities are prone to committing more crime?

Answer 10

Other groups within society face marginalisation

Question 11

According to Sewell (2003), what is the triple quandary theory?

Answer 11

A “quandary” refers to a dilemma and suggests that young black boys are at risk experiencing 3 key problems

Question 12

According to Sewell (2003), what are the 3 problems that black people face? (triple quandary)

Answer 12

• high rates of single parenthood
• growing up in white culture can be disadvantageous
• black media encourages deviant values

Question 13

According to Sewell (2003), how does high rates of single parenthood lead to problems? (triple quandary)

Answer 13

65% of black children are raised by a single parent, in the absence of a father figure black males are not subject to tough discipline meaning they gravitate towards deviant subcultures made up of other boys in the same situation

Question 14

According to Sewell (2003), how does growing up in a predominantly white culture be a problem? (triple quandary)

Answer 14

Black boys are subject to racist labelling from teachers, more likely to be stopped and searched and they are less likely to be taken seriously for jobs. Leaves boys feeling marginalised meaning they turn to crime as retaliation

Question 15

According to Sewell (2003), how does black media propose a problem? (triple quandary)

Answer 15

Rap music and gangsta films encourage deviant values. Music and film is centred around misogyny and the promotion of violence causing black boys to copy such behaviour. Leads to hyper masculinity and anti-authority persona

Question 16

Evaluation of the triple quandary theory as to why ethnic minorities are more likely to commit crime?

Answer 16

No evidence to suggest that black boys copy black media

Question 17

According to Hirschi (1969), what is control theory and how does it link to ethnic minorities?

Answer 17

More control = less crime and visa versa.
Explains differences between asian and black crime
Asian people have high levels of control in the form of religion and religion
Black people have lower levels of control coming from single parent families and often finding themselves in lower status jobs

Question 18

Evaluation of the control theory seeking to explain why ethnic minorities commit more crime?

Answer 18

Deterministic and stereotypical

Question 19

What are the 3 claims that differences in ethnic representation in crime statistics is down to racism and discrimination?

Answer 19

• black criminality is a myth
• moral panics about black criminality
• labelling theories of institutional racism

Question 20

According to neo-marxist Gilroy (1982), what is the black criminality myth?

Answer 20

Gilroy attempts to explain how black criminality is politically motivated. Current generations of black people and their ancestors have been treated unfairly throughout history, all to white supremecy. From slavery to colonialism, black people have suffered unimaginable abuse and acts of deviance are a deliberate reaction to this to defend their culture.

Question 21

According to neo-marxist Gilroy (1982), how has the myth of black criminality been perpetuated over time? (black criminality as a myth)

Answer 21

Black deviance is defined so by the white majority and has been perpetuated over time meaning they can justify greater controls over the group. For example, in the Black Lives Matter protesters, rioters were described as “looters”

Question 22

Evaluation of the black criminality is a myth view?

Answer 22

Victim status

Question 23

According to neo-marxist Hall (1979), what is the moral panic about black criminality?

Answer 23

Focusses on how media labelling can have consequence for black people. In the 1970s, London saw a rise in knife crime and rather than adressing the structural causes for this (deindustrialization), the media blamed the black community. This lead to the agressive policing of black communities leading to an increase in stop and search and racial profiling.

Question 24

According to neo-marxist Hall (1979), what was the consequence on media labelling on ethnic minorities? (moral panics about black deviance)

Answer 24

Labelling of black people via the media was ideological and it made it easier for the government to control these people. This divides and rules the working class and black people distracting from the structural causes on inequality caused by capitalism

Question 25

Evaluation of the view that the media causes moral panics about black people?

Answer 25

Representing information about genuine social problems

Question 26

According to labelling theorists, how is the justice system institutionally racist?

Answer 26

Ethnic minorities are subject to racial profiling and are subject to harsher prison sentences leading to the social construction of crime statistics.

Question 27

According to labelling theorists, what are the 3 ways the justice system can be institutional racist?

Answer 27

• stop and search practices
• canteen culture
• 3 times more likely to be arrested than white people

Question 28

According to labelling theorists, how are stop and search practices institutionally racist?

Answer 28

Black people are 8 times more likely, Asian people 4 times more likely than white people. Police are more likely to be cynical about non-white individuals

Question 29

According to labelling theorists, what is canteen culture?

Answer 29

Racist “banter” in police officers free times reinforces the idea that black people are “deviant”

Question 30

According to labelling theorists, how are black people 3 times more likely to be arrested than white people?

Answer 30

Police are more likely to interpret deviant behaviour as criminal compared to white people.

Question 31

According to labelling theorists, what is the MacPherson report?

Answer 31

A review publised into the failed police investigation into the murder of a black school boy. Report believed police failed in their role = racism

Question 32

Evaluation of the view that the justice system is institutionally racist?

Answer 32

Fails to focus on the individual