Ethnicity and Crime Flashcards
What are the 4 theories that seek to explain why ethnic minorities commit more crime?
- strain and anomie within black communities
- left realist theories
- triple quandary theory
- control theory
According to Cashmore (1989), how do black communities feel strain and anomie?
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
According to Cashmore (1989), how do black communities feel a sense of anomie? (strain and anomie)
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
Evaluation of the view that black individuals are more likely to feel strain and anomie?
-not specific to black males
According to Lea and Young, what is the left realist explanation as to why ethnic minorities are more likely to commit crime?
They propose three reasons:
- relative deprivation
- marginalisation
- deviant subcultures
According to Lea and Young, how do ethnic minorities suffer from relative depreivation? (left realist)
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
According to Lea and Young, how are ethnic minorities more likely to suffer from marginalisation? (left realist)
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
According to Lea and Young, how are black males more susceptible to joining deviant subcultures? (left realist)
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
According to Lea and Young, how is there * a lack of* racism within the criminal justice system? (left realist)
The majority of crimes that ethnic minorities commit are referred to the police by members of the public rather than stop and search
Evaluation of the left realist view that ethnic minorities are prone to committing more crime?
Other groups within society face marginalisation
According to Sewell (2003), what is the triple quandary theory?
A “quandary” refers to a dilemma and suggests that young black boys are at risk experiencing 3 key problems
According to Sewell (2003), what are the 3 problems that black people face? (triple quandary)
- high rates of single parenthood
- growing up in white culture can be disadvantageous
- black media encourages deviant values
According to Sewell (2003), how does high rates of single parenthood lead to problems? (triple quandary)
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
According to Sewell (2003), how does growing up in a predominantly white culture be a problem? (triple quandary)
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
According to Sewell (2003), how does black media propose a problem? (triple quandary)
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
Evaluation of the triple quandary theory as to why ethnic minorities are more likely to commit crime?
No evidence to suggest that black boys copy black media
According to Hirschi (1969), what is control theory and how does it link to ethnic minorities?
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
Evaluation of the control theory seeking to explain why ethnic minorities commit more crime?
Deterministic and stereotypical
What are the 3 claims that differences in ethnic representation in crime statistics is down to racism and discrimination?
- black criminality is a myth
- moral panics about black criminality
- labelling theories of institutional racism
According to neo-marxist Gilroy (1982), what is the black criminality myth?
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.
According to neo-marxist Gilroy (1982), how has the myth of black criminality been perpetuated over time? (black criminality as a myth)
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”
Evaluation of the black criminality is a myth view?
Victim status
According to neo-marxist Hall (1979), what is the moral panic about black criminality?
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.
According to neo-marxist Hall (1979), what was the consequence on media labelling on ethnic minorities? (moral panics about black deviance)
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
