Ethnicity Flashcards
(6 cards)
Official statistics
E - MOJ state black communities are 7x more likely than their white counter partners to be stopped and searched, 3 and a half more likely to be arrested, 5x more in prison.
E - This suggests that the overrepresentation of ethnic minorities in crime statistics could be due to increased police surveillance rather than genuine differences between ethnicity’s in criminality.
E - However, these stats don’t simply record crime, but reflect power relations between the state and ethnic minorities. Reflects bias overall.
Mugging - Hall (1978)
E - Hall et al argues during 1970s Britain faced an economic crisis with the media constructing a moral panic about young black men as muggers to distract them from failures of capitalism.
E - This led to increased policing and harsher sentences suggesting the overrepresentation of black individuals may be socially constructed, reflecting police bias and media stereotyping.
E - However, Downes & Rock (2011) argue that they were inconsistent in stating that black street crime was not rising or that it was rising due to unemployment.
Myth of black criminality - Gilroy (1982)
E - Gilroy claims that black crime is actually a form of political resistance against a racist society.Most black and Asian people in the UK originated in former British Colonies, where their anti-imperialist struggles taught them how to move this depression through riots and demonstration.
E - This suggests that ethnic minorities are not more criminal but labelled due to racist policing. The police treat ethnic minorities with greater suspicion, leading to higher arrests.
E - However, Lea & Young (1984) rejected Gilroy’s argument, stating not all black crime is politically motivated. e.g. most Black crime is intra-ethnic meaning is committed against of a black people are not against the state or whites.
Institutional Racism
E - The Macpherson Report (1999) investigated the murder of Stephen Lawrence, finding the police were racist which failed them to properly investigate his case due to racial bias.
E - This highlights how police and legal systems, target ethnic groups, leading to higher rates of stop and searches, arrests and convictions.
E - However, Waddington (2004) argued that stop and search rates are not only due to racism, but also reflects the fact that ethnic minorities are more likely to live in high crime areas making it appear the police are racists towards them but its actually due to the environment around them.
Left Realism - Lea & Young (1984)
E - Lea and Young identify relative deprivation, marginalisation & subcultures are key factors to contributing to crime among ethnic minorities. They argue racism has led to marginalisation and economic exclusion of minority ethnic groups, who faced higher levels of unemployment, poverty and poor housing.
E - This suggests that ethnic differences in crime are not just a product of racist policing, but also reflects structural inequalities that effect different ethnic groups.
E - However, they can be criticized for their views on the role of police racism e.g. arrest rates for Asian people may be lower than the black people, not because they are less likely to offend but because police stereotypes the two groups differently. Black - dangerous, Asian - Passive, Since 9/11 these news have changed.
Stop & Search policing - Phillips & Bowling (2002)
E - Phillips & Bowling found Black individuals are more likely to be stopped and searched by the police, despite evidence, suggesting they don’t commit more crimes.
E - This reinforces the criminalization of ethnic minorities, as repeated encounters with police increase likelihood of arrest and labelling offenders.
E - However, Reiner (2000) argues that stop and search is not always racially motivated, but instead reflects ‘canteen culture’ of all police officers.
