ethnicity and crime Flashcards
LEA AND YOUNG - left realism on ethnic differences in crime
Accept statistics as real differences
Racism has led to the marginalisation and economic exclusion of ethnic minorities – leads to utilitarian crime (monetary gain)
Marginalisation leads to status frustration which produces high levels of non-utilitarian crime (violence and riots)
Media emphasis on consumerism also promotes relative deprivation
GILROY (neo marxism) - myth of crime
Reject the view that ethnic minority groups commit more crime found in crime statistics
Statistics are a social construct based on racial stereotypes
Sees black criminality as a myth – sees black crime as a form of political resistance against a racist society
HALL et al (neo marxism) - moral panics
New moral panic of the ‘black mugger’
Black males made into a scapegoat and blamed for societies problems – takes blame away from capitalism
Divides the WC on racial grounds
Wins support for more authoritarian rule that could suppress opposition
However, do not show how crisis led to a moral panic
FITZGERALD et al - neighbourhood factors
Found that street robberies were highest in very poor neighbourhoods where people had contact with affluent groups
Young black people were more likely to be poor and live in these areas – same for white people as well so ethnicity is not the cause
SHARP AND BUDD - getting caught
Black youths more likely to commit crimes such as robbery where victims could identify them
Black youths were more likely to have been excluded from schools/associate with known criminals – this increases their visibility
PHILLIPS AND BOWLING - four comments on ethnicity and crime
Many officers hold negative stereotypes about ethnic minorities which leads to more stop and searches
Ethnic minorities think they are over-policed, and custodial sentences are 3 months longer than white men
White victims may over-identify black people – saying the offender was black when they are not sure
CPS are more likely to drop cases against ethnic minorities – could be because evidence is based on stereotyping of ethnic minorities as criminals
