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Flashcards in Ethnicity + Crime Deck (19)
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1
Q

Who did the police focus on after the 2011 riots?

A

Asians/ Muslims + black people

2
Q

What ethnicities are overrepresented in prisons?

What ethnicities are underrepresented?

A

Over: Black, Asians
Under: White

3
Q

How do Subcultural theories explain the ethnic differences in the distribution of crime?

A

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’

4
Q

How do Ecological theories explain the ethnic differences in the distribution of crime?

A

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

5
Q

How does the Labelling theory explain the ethnic differences in the distribution of crime?

A

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

6
Q

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?

A

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

7
Q

How do New Criminologists explain the ethnic differences in the distribution of crime?

A

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

8
Q

How do Left Realists explain the ethnic differences in the distribution of crime?

A

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)

9
Q

How do Right Realists explain the ethnic differences in the distribution of crime?

A

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
10
Q

Give 3 reasons as to why Official Statistics are inaccurate, indicating that the CJS is racist

A
  1. 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
  2. High conviction rates = result of institutional racism, police have ‘procedures, practices + cultures that tend to disadvantage non-white people’ (Macpherson Report, Stephen Lawrence)
  3. Studies have uncovered a ‘canteen culture’ amongst police officers e.g. Kalra (2003)
11
Q

Why does Gilroy (2003) argue that official statistics are inaccurate and that the CJS is just racist?

A

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

12
Q

What did the Macpherson Report 1999 show after the case of Stephen Lawrence?

A

High conviction rates of minorities could be due to institutional racism
Polie have ‘procedures, oratrices + culture that tends to exclude/ disadvantage non-white people’

13
Q

Describe what is mean by a ‘canteen culture’

A

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

14
Q

What does Kalra (2003) argue?

A

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

15
Q

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

A
  1. 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
  2. Waddington (2004)
    - non PO, OCS + interviews
    - stop + searches = proportional to people most likely to be in town centres
16
Q

Why do Lea + Young (1982) argue that OCS are accurate and that the CJS isn’t racist? (2)

What do they argue instead?

A

Left Realists
1. Stats can’t be due to institutional racism; most crimes = reported by public

  1. 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

17
Q

Why does Waddington (2004) argue that OCS are accurate and that the CJS isn’t racist?
What did Waddington find?

A

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

18
Q

What did Phillips + Bowling (2012) suggest about the link between crime + ethnic minorities?

A

= socially constructed fabrication
- product of racial prejudice within the police + direct discrimination against black + Asians

ID 2 types of discrimination

19
Q

What are the 2 types of racial discrimination that Phillips + Bowling (2012) ID?

A
  1. 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)
  2. Direct discrimination: caused when a person/ group = treated unfairly as a direct result of their racial/ religious/ national IDs