Ethnicity + Crime Flashcards
Who did the police focus on after the 2011 riots?
Asians/ Muslims + black people
What ethnicities are overrepresented in prisons?
What ethnicities are underrepresented?
Over: Black, Asians
Under: White
How do Subcultural theories explain the ethnic differences in the distribution of crime?
Miller: some groups have different focal concerns
Cohen: minorities = more likely to suffer status frustration (young African Caribbean males in London gain status with guns)
Cloward + Ohlin: minorities = more likely to access illegitimate opportunity structure; of where they live - might also have relatives with criminal backgrounds + so gain ‘criminal knowledge’
How do Ecological theories explain the ethnic differences in the distribution of crime?
Shaw + McKay: minorities = more likely to live in ‘zone of transition’
Neighbourhoods = more likely to suffer from social disorganisation
In addition due to the age profile of the Afro-Caribbean community they’re more likely to be involved in the nocturnal economy
How does the Labelling theory explain the ethnic differences in the distribution of crime?
Cicourel: negotiated justice can be applied (linked to language codes)
Deviancy amplification + scapegoating can lead to SFP
Becker: moral entrepreneurs
Media owners + politicians point fingers - have powerful influence over law keepers
How do Traditional Marxists explain the ethnic differences in the distribution of crime?
Why do they argue that Black people commit more crime than other ethnic groups?
Capitalism = criminogenic (Chambliss): unemployed minorities - feel no choice but to turn to crime to purchase material goods
Black people = disproportionately in poverty, hence targeted by selective law enforcement
How do New Criminologists explain the ethnic differences in the distribution of crime?
Applied directly via Hall’s study on mugging
- racist police = more likely to se stop + search law on ethnic minority me, particularly;arly young black men
How do Left Realists explain the ethnic differences in the distribution of crime?
Argue that minorities = more likely to suffer relative deprivation + fell marginalised
As a result respond via formation of subcultures
Minorities = also more likely to be Vs of crime (data via V surveys)
How do Right Realists explain the ethnic differences in the distribution of crime?
Argue that increased No.s of SPF within particular ethnic groups = to bale for disproportionate amount of crime they commit
- leads to inadequate socialisation, poor role models, dependency on benefits
- all leads to them being members of the underclass + so rational choice = to commit crime
Give 3 reasons as to why Official Statistics are inaccurate, indicating that the CJS is racist
- Gilroy (1983): black criminality = myth, CJS = just racist
1998/9 black people = 6 x more like to be stopped + searched as whites, Asians twice as likely - High conviction rates = result of institutional racism, police have ‘procedures, practices + cultures that tend to disadvantage non-white people’ (Macpherson Report, Stephen Lawrence)
- Studies have uncovered a ‘canteen culture’ amongst police officers e.g. Kalra (2003)
Why does Gilroy (2003) argue that official statistics are inaccurate and that the CJS is just racist?
Black criminality is a myth
e.g In 1998/99 Black people were 6x more likely to be stopped + searched as white people
Asians are twice as likely
What did the Macpherson Report 1999 show after the case of Stephen Lawrence?
High conviction rates of minorities could be due to institutional racism
Polie have ‘procedures, oratrices + culture that tends to exclude/ disadvantage non-white people’
Describe what is mean by a ‘canteen culture’
Studies have uncovered that the police have a ‘canteen culture’ amongst police officers
(suspiciousness, conservatism and masculinity)
This include particular stereotypes of ethnic minorities
e.g. Kalra (2003) argues: police ID certain groups as ‘trouble’, actions = more likely to be regarded as suspicious
- Blacks and most recently young Muslim men
Negative labelling leads to biased law enforcement
What does Kalra (2003) argue?
Police ID certain groups as ‘trouble’
Actions = more likely to be regarded as suspicious
- Blacks and most recently young Muslim men
Negative labelling leads to biased law enforcement
Give 2 reasons why Official Statistics are accurate, indicating that the high levels go Black people in said stats can’t be due to racism
- Lea + Young (1982)
- Stats can’t be due to racism; most crimes a= reported by the public
- 42% of Vs of Black criminals are Black themselves, so can’t be evidence of police targeting
- L+Y argue high rates of black crime = result of relative deprivation, marginality + membership of subcultures - Waddington (2004)
- non PO, OCS + interviews
- stop + searches = proportional to people most likely to be in town centres
Why do Lea + Young (1982) argue that OCS are accurate and that the CJS isn’t racist? (2)
What do they argue instead?
Left Realists
1. Stats can’t be due to institutional racism; most crimes = reported by public
- 42% of Vs of black crime = black themselves - can’t be evidence of police targeting
Argue that high rates of black crime = result of relative deprivation, marginalisation + subculture membership
Why does Waddington (2004) argue that OCS are accurate and that the CJS isn’t racist?
What did Waddington find?
Used non-PO, OCS + interviews with police officers
Found although police stop + search high No. young people from minorities, ALSO stop high No. of young white people
No.s = proportional to type of people most likely to be found in town centres (especially @ night)
So S+S rates reflect composition of people on streets NOT racism
What did Phillips + Bowling (2012) suggest about the link between crime + ethnic minorities?
= socially constructed fabrication
- product of racial prejudice within the police + direct discrimination against black + Asians
ID 2 types of discrimination
What are the 2 types of racial discrimination that Phillips + Bowling (2012) ID?
- Indirect discrimination: caused by rule/ policy/ practice of an organisation, which people of a particular ethnic group = less likely to be achieve, leaving them @ a disadvantage (when policies have the effect of disadvantaging certain people)
- Direct discrimination: caused when a person/ group = treated unfairly as a direct result of their racial/ religious/ national IDs
