Ethnicity and Crime

1. Ethnicity and Crime Objectives:- Be able to describe some patterns and trends related to ethnicity and crime Be able to discuss different sociological explanations of the patterns and trends related to ethnicity and crime.

2. The facts • 91% of people in the UK are white • 9% are non-white • 5% Asian • 2% Afro- Caribbean • 2% mixed and other

3. Facts about ‘race’ • 19% of the population belongs to an ethnic minority • Most of these people live in urban areas • The ethnic minority population is growing faster than the whole society because they are generally younger in age. • The largest single group of ethnic minority people are Indians, followed by Pakistani and then Black Caribbeans. • Most of those who consider themselves to belong to an ethnic minority community are in fact, British because they were born in Britain. • They are claimed to have ‘hybrid culture’ which is a mix of their home culture and British culture.

4. Ethnicity & Crime • Of the 80,000 men in prison approximately 74% are white, 15% Afro-Caribbean, 7% Asian, 3% mixed and 1% Chinese. • Of the 7,000 women in prison 70% are white, 21% Afro-Caribbean, 5% mixed, 2% Asian and 2% Chinese and other. • The situation in the USA is very similar – Black Americans make up 13% of the total population and 50% of the prison population.

5. How have criminologists explained this?

6. Is the legal system unfair? • Gilroy – too much black street crime is a deliberate expression of young black people’s anger at the way white society has treated them historically (eg. Slavery). Young black males have formed ‘cultures of resistance’’ against the institutional racism of everyday life. • Criticism – does not explain why black criminals attack and rob each other • Doesn’t acknowledge that most immigrants are law-abiding

7. More recent research • Philips & Bowling (2002) argue that the criminal justice system is racist. • Critical issue – ‘stop and search’ (5-8 times higher for black males than white). • Higher number of arrests for young black people in inner cities • Higher imprisonment rate for black than whites.

8. Stephen Lawrence McPhearson Report claims Metropolitan Police Force is institutionally racist . What does this mean ? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSqjKr_XMUA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iondcXaTQ8

9. ‘Stop & Search’ Introduced by the Police & Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Also known as PACE) Code A Deals with the exercise by police officers of statutory powers to search a person or a vehicle without first making an arrest. It also deals with the need for a police officer to make a record of a stop or encounter.

10. Alexander (2000) • Suggests there is a moral panic with regard to Asian people. • Racist attacks against Asian minorities has increased since 9/11 and this may have been underlying cause of Bradford riot! • Abbas (2005) suggests that Asian youths are more willing to stand up for their rights and against racism.

11. Marxist View • Capitalism creates racism • Castles and Kosack (1973) ethnic minorities are reserve army of cheap labour – justifies low wages for all. • In economic booms and slumps whites blame ethnic minorites for all their problems so Capitalism is the problem not minority cultures or immigration. • Criticism • The marxist view wants to excuse ethnic minorites of their crime by saying they are oppressed by racism and the capitalist system BUT at the same time they say that statistics and policing is unfair !

12. Radical Criminology • Taylor Walton and Young introduced a Fully Social Theory of Deviance which included many aspects of different perspectives. • Stuart Hall et al used this theory to examine the moral panic about mugging in the 1970s. • See ‘Policing the crisis’ Hall et al in textbook.

13. Reasons for High criminality of Afro-Caribbean • Lea & Young (left realists) – first criminologists to acknowledge that black people were not simply victims of a racist police force and criminal justice system but are actually more likely to be involved with street crime than whites.

14. Functionalist View • Immigrant cultures take time to be integrated into the norms and values of the host culture. • Eventually any crime problems associated will disappear as the immigrants are assimilated • Politicians produce ideals of multiculturalism to encourage integration but some see this as ‘backfiring’ and now want to embrace the ‘assimilation’ idea again Can you think of an example ?

15. The Cantle Report • Race riots occurred in British cities in 2001. • The main rioting was in the North and associated with Asian communities in Bradford, Oldham and Burnley. • The Cantle Report was produced in December in that year. • It claims that there is racial segregation between the communities and increasing distance between the groups. • It argues for increased integration between groups. • The Home Secretary, David Blunkett suggested: • Immigrants should learn English • They should take a loyalty oath to the UK

16. Waddington (2004) • Published in the British Journal of Criminology argues that the police do stop a proportionately higher number of blacks compared to whites. • However, he argues that there are more ethnic minority youths out at night in inner cities and that the police simply target those in high risk areas. If the areas is disproportionately represented by young black males they are more likely to be stopped and searched – because of where they are rather than their ethnicity

17. Other reasons for higher rates of street crime amongst blacks

18. Crime among other minorities. • Don’t underestimate the impact of a declining influence of religion in the lives of some minority groups. • In addition you could refer to a rise in some forms of fundamentalism (which is linked with terrorism and criminal activity. Linked with globalisation when you refer to countries such a Yemen, Afghanistan etc).

19. Evaluation points • With regard to British culture the ‘host’ culture is not uniform it is a very diverse culture already. • Many ethnic minorities do not approve what they see as the values of the host culture e.g binge drinking! • The functionalist approach ignore explicit and implicit racism that exists in society. • Clancy et al (2001) point out that ethnic minorities in Britain are on average younger and youth is linked to crime and deviance so this could explain why figures are greater.

20. Are Western governments entitled to profile ethnic minority groups for national security purposes?

21. Use the powerpoint to identify:- • % of BME currently in UK • % of prison population who are BME • How does Gilroy explains black criminality • Two ways that Gilroy’s explanation can be criticised • What do Philips and Bowling suggest about the criminal justice system and what is their evidence? • What were the findings of the McPhearson Report on the death of Stephen Lawrence? • What reason does Waddington suggest for the stop and search statistics for BME? • Why might Asian muslims get into more trouble according to Alexander? • How might you criticise the Marxist view of ethnicity and crime? • Do Lea and Young believe that the system is unfair? • What other reasons might there be for more criminal behaviour amongst BME? • Look at the functionalist point of view – and the slide on the Cantel report – Which is more effective multiculturalism or assimilation?