stereotyping criminals Flashcards
what is a stereotype?
- definition
a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image of a particular type of person
eg- young people who wear hoodies are delinquents
what does cicourel suggest?
police, judges, probation officers, prosecutors
have stereotypes of ‘typical delinquent’
what are typifications?
- defintion
act of representing by a type or a symbol
typifications applied to police found by cicourel?
- young, lower class, often unemployed males
- black or ethnic minority
- from a ‘rough’ neighbourhood
- ‘bad attitude’ towards authority
- poor educational record- eg. truanting
- association with people known to police
where do typificactions generally come from?
media
tend to influence decisions that police make:
. where to patrol
. who to stop
. whether to arrest someone
. whether to charge someone
it creates a self-fulfilling prophecy
what media can you find typifications?
local news reports
reality tv shows
both often show male offenders, crime scenes in rundown neighbourhoods or council estates
what is a self-fulfilling prophecy?
- defintion
prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true
self-fulfilling prophecy and the outcomes?
individuals get convicted and affirms with the typification’s held by the police about them.
what can self-fulfilling prophecies lead to?
further stops, searches, arrests
individuals who don’t fit this get away with it- eg. white collar crimes
