Department of Criminal Justice California State University - Bakersfield CRJU 330

1. Department of Criminal Justice California State University - Bakersfield CRJU 330 Race, Ethnicity and Criminal Justice Dr. Abu-Lughod, Reem Ali Race, Ethnicity, Social Structure, and Crime

2. Intro: • Kerner Commission 1968: Nation is moving toward two societies, one black, one white, separate and unequal. • Early 1990s: Andrew Hacker (political scientist) published Two Nations: Black and White, Separate, Hostile, Unequal • Relationship between racial discrimination, social and economic inequality and crime. Racial disparities in the criminal justice system.

3. Social structure: collective social circumstance that is unalterable and given for the individual. Reveals patterned relationships between groups of people that form the basic contours of society. Patterned relationships: employment, income, residence, education, religion, gender, and race and ethnicity.

4. Economic Inequality: • Gap between the rich and poor • Economic gap between white Americans and minorities • The growth of the underclass • Income: median income lowest for AA compared to whites • Growth of the black middle class. How so? • Civil rights movement: employment for social and ethnic minorities where they previously been excluded. Changing structure of American society gave minorities opportunities for advancement.

5. Wealth: different than income. It is how much a family has accumulated in cars, stocks, etc. larger gap between whites and minorities • Unemployment: higher for minorities. However there are 3 main problems with the actual rate of unemployment: • Discouraged workers who have given up trying to find a job • Part-time employees seeking long-term employment • Workers in the “underground” economy. Those getting paid in cash

6. Poverty • % of minorities living in poverty is higher compared to whites. Children growing up in poor neighborhoods are lacking good nutrition, health care, education, etc…, therefore their future is jeopardized by their poverty status

7. Human Capital versus Social Capital 1. HC: values, habits, etc. which shape a person’s behavior. E.g. family 2. SC: “institutions, relations, and norms that shape the quality on quantity of a society’s social interactions. This includes family, community, friends (networking), etc… can also have a downside with wrong relationships.

8. Progress, Stagnation or Regression? Which way are we moving towards. All arguments have some truth to them. i.e. the 1940s (racial segregation) was a different time than the civil rights movement (more rights given to minorities), and that in terms of economic inequality all minority groups have a definite gap between the rich and poor.

9. Problems of the underclass: 1. lack social capital 2. more poverty 3. family breakdown 4. more involvement in crime

10. Residential segregation. Some people simply prefer living in areas with members from their own race. We still see residential segregation today • Residential segregation and crime: concentrates offenders in one specific areas. Therefore more likely to engage in criminal activity.

11. Some of the problems that the civil rights movement created for AA in terms of job opportunity. Black who managed to become a part of the workforce moved away from the inner city. The neighborhoods became abandoned. Wilson refers to that as the “social buffer”. Role models are lost. Neighborhood deteriorates.

12. Wilson’s broken windows theory and community policing. Fear of crime which follows withdrawal from neighborhood, increase in delinquency. Finally there is no community remaining.

13. Theoretical perspectives: • Social strain theory: • Robert Merton. Means in achieving goals in society. The gap between goals and means produces strain among people. Merton’s five modes of adaptation: • rebellion (reject both means and goals) • Innovators: accept goals, reject means • Retreatism: reject both the goals and means • Conformists: accept norms, status quo • Ritualists

14. Messner and Rosenfeld: the structure of American can society emphasizes success through individual achievement. Success as material success, through hard work and persistence. Hard work will get you where you want to be. Failure is considered an individual problem not a social one. What is the reality behind it? Critical versus a social functionalist perspective

15. Differential Association Theory: • Edwin Sutherland: association with people. The levels of good or bad behavior (FIDO)

16. Social Disorganization Theory: • Chicago School. The severity of poor conditions on individual’s conventional way of living. External environments. Cycle of delinquency. • Poverty and unemployment and their influence on family (as the primary unit of socialization), single parent homes, lack of parental supervision. Poverty; malnutrition, health problems, learning disabilities, poor performance in schools.

17. Culture Conflict Theory: • More crime in heterogeneous societies because there is lack of consensus on societal values. Today social issues and problems such as abortion, homosexuality, and others are being discussed. Religious beliefs, alcohol consumption (the prohibition era)

18. Conflict Theory: Unequal distribution of power in society: Example: segregation era in the South (1890-1960s) in schools and public accommodations. AA not given the right to vote; little control on changing policy and the “justice” behind the justice system in America

19. Routine Activity Theory: • Cohen and Felson: criminal incidents that result as a part of everyday life. Social control in society either promotes or inhibits criminal activity.

20. Inequality and Social Reform: • Did all the policies in society fail? If not, what happened? Why are there people living in a culture of poverty? • Many argue that the welfare system is a failure compared with other countries • Or does the welfare system encourage people not to work

21. The Impact of the Civil Rights Mov’t Between 1954-1965 America was moving towards equality as a national policy Brown versus Board of Education Interracial marriages 1965 Congress passed the Voting Rights Act to eliminate racial discrimination in voting 1972 Equal Opportunity Act 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act

22. Impact on American society • No segregation in public schools and more integration • More AA serving as members of the House • AA mayors • Voting participation

23. Impact on the CJ system • Serving on juries • AA police officers

24. Conclusion: • From a liberal Democratic: War on Poverty in 1965 with the Economic Opportunity Act. Health care, social security, food stamps, and other government assistance • Conservative Republican in 1980s involved “Reaganomics” or “supply side economics” focused on stimulating the economy by lowering taxes and government spending. Wanted to also eliminate government assistance because they create disincentives to work

25. Conservatives argue that War on Poverty and other liberal policies 1960s failed to eliminate poverty and made things worse by removing incentives for the poor to seek employment.

26. Liberals argue that Reaganomics increased the gap between rich and poor • Civil rights movement has had a mixed effect on inequalities in America