Oxford dictionary defines intersectionality as “the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage.” While intersectionality is a fairly new concept, looking at it can give a deeper insight into understanding crime and the types of offenders. Throughout this essay intersectionality will be discussed by a range of scholars and how it can influence different aspects of crime, such as the types of crime committed, the incarceration of offenders as well as the affects that incarceration can have on offenders and their families. It is important to look at intersectionality as …show more content…
Parker and M. Kristen Hefner write about how the intersectionality of class, race and gender affect homicide rates at a macro level of White and African American females between the years of 1990-2000. As well as using an intersectional framework, Parker and Hefner explore how the contemporary economic, social and policy changes can differently affect black and white female homicide rates. The study reveals many interesting facts and shows how intersectionality can change how we understand crime today. Firstly, it is found that an increase in resource deprivation saw a 27% increase in white female offending and a 39% increase in black female offending. Resource deprivation includes the declining number of domestic violence shelters available to women. Some feminist scholars have criticised these domestic violence services as being “based on white, middle-class, female standards” (Parker & Hefner, 2013, p. 247) as they do not take into account the structural difficulties that only minority women face. The fact that these services do not take into account the culturally specific difficulties that minority women face, some women may feel that their only option is to turn to crime. This can explain why the rate of black female offending is much higher than that of white female offending when they are deprived of
In many nation states, it is noticed that there is a disproportionate number of black people especially those youngsters going through the criminal justice system. The overrepresentation is illustrated by related data released by the U.S. Department of Justice and the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee. In America, almost 3500 per 100,000 residents of the black male were sent to jail in 2013 which was over seven times more than the ratio their white counterpart had and in England and Wales, 8.5% of young black people aged between 10-17 were arrested during the same period .This essay aims to explore the reasons behind the ethnic overrepresentation in the criminal justice system and believes that the higher rate of offending for some race groups and the existence of systematic racist which partially stems from the contemporary media distortion are attributive to the overrepresentation.
The work by Victor M. Rios entitled Punished: Policing the Lives of Black and Latino Boys and Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness depict ways in which policing and incarceration affect inequalities that exist in society. In this body of work I will draw on specific examples from the works of Victor M. Rios and Michelle Alexander to fulfill the tasks of this project. Over the course of the semester and by means of supplemental readings, a few key points are highlighted: how race and gender inequalities correlate to policing and incarceration, how laws marginalize specific groups, and lastly how policing and incarceration perpetuate the very inequalities that exist within American society.
Is race and ethnicity a contemporary issue in today’s modern criminal justice system, or is it an issue of the past. Race and ethnicity plays a huge role in our justice system, to say that is doesn’t would be false. We can look back through history and we can see many example of how much of a role it has played. There are many studies that prove that race and ethnicity is still a current issue in our contemporary criminal justice system. There are many debates about whether it does or does not still impact our justice system as well. We cannot deny that race and ethnicity impacts the operations of our justice system, not justice in our system, but in other systems around the world. In particular, race and ethnicity still impacts our system
Stark (2006) would suggest that thirty years of research has failed to produce a consensus as to what constitutes a case of domestic violence considering that 90% of women who report the abuse have no physical injuries. Methods of coercive control do not meet the criminological viewpoint rather, control extends to financial, emotional, and psychological aspects of subjugating the partner thus no physical violence occurs. If only violent means are reported, then the reported number of victims would perhaps change thus creating a more gender symmetrical pattern. Until operational definitions are defined throughout the disciplines with consistency then there will continue to be discrepancies and opposing views. However, integrative theories of feminist views are being explored which investigate the intersection of not only male dominance as a form of oppression but the use of race, class, national origin, age, sexual orientation, and disability and their impact on intimate partner violence as stated by McPhail and colleagues
Crime has always been a hot topic in sociology. There are many different reasons for people to commit criminal acts. There is no way to pinpoint the source of crime. I am going to show the relationship between race and crime. More specifically, I will be discussing the higher chances of minorities being involved in the criminal justice system than the majority population, discrimination, racial profiling and the environment criminals live in.
Racial Disparities in the Criminal Justice System “We simply cannot say we live in a country that offers equal justice to all Americans when racial disparities plague the system by which our society imposes the ultimate punishment,” stated Senator Russ Feingold. Even though racism has always been a problem since the beginning of time, recently in the United States, there has been a rise in discrimination and violence has been directed towards the African American minority primarily from those in the white majority who believe they are more superior, especially in our criminal justice system. There are many different reasons for the ethnic disparities in the criminal justice system between the majority and the minority, but some key reasons are differential involvement, individual racism, and institutional racism to why racial disparities exist in Institutional racism is racism that is shown through government organizations and political institutions. In a report done by David Baldus in 1998, he discovered that when it comes to the death penalty, blacks are more likely sentenced to death than whites, and those who kill whites are more likely to be given the death penalty than the killing of blacks (Touré).
Staples successfully begins by not only admitting the possible faults in his practiced race but also by understanding the perspective of the one who fear them. Black males being opened to more violence because of the environment they're raised in are labeled to be more likely to cause harm or committing crime towards women but Staples asks why that issue changes the outlook of everyday face to face contact and questions the simple actions of a black man? Staples admits, "women are particularly vulnerable to street violence, and young black males are drastically overrepresented among the perpetrators of that violence," (Staples 384) however...
Lloyd and Emory’s analysis has been noted to uniquely focus on the interpersonal dyad, instead of strictly the victim or perpetrator. My personal preference for this body of work would have been to expand into the degree of dependence these women had on their partners. In an interest to facilitate a consistent sample, the women interviewed were all white, young, and predominantly middle-class with college educations. It is a sad presumption, but I would guess much higher levels of abuse are experienced in minority, lower class, struggling households. In this case, the dependence on a male may greatly increase the amount of physical and sexual aggression a victim is willing to tolerate. Lloyd and Emory do an exemplary job in exposing the sad truths of real life abuse, however I don’t think the imbalance of external factors plays enough of a role in explanation. The focus is greatly on the internal dynamic of the
Williams Crenshaw’s “Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence Against Women of Color” aided me in understanding the importance of intersectionality. Intersectionality is a framework that is critical in helping us position ourselves to others and not individually. While in “Heteropatriarchy and the Three Pillars of White Supremacy,” Dr. Smith begins her paper by discussing the division that lies within the community of color. My presentation on Dr. Williams Crenshaw’s article and Dr. Smith’s arguments reminded me that there is no greater power against an oppressive system than a conglomeration of people working together to fight
Spade argues that legal equality highlights the difference between racial neutrality introduced in law and the realities of white supremacy. He introduces arguments that further prove that “colour blindness is the rationale for this approach” (Spade, 2013). Drawing on the experiences of black people, women and other minority groups, Spade reaches the conclusion that in order for prosecution, in a discriminatory case, to occur one has to understand intersectionality in order to understand that discrimination is more complex than it appears. Spade uses population control to highlight how intersectionality can be used in connection with the population to study certain harms by including the population instead of the individual. He uses Ruth Wilson Gilmore’s definition of racism which states “group-differentiated vulnerability to premature death” to reinforce that the condition of the population should be focused on the group instead of the individual (Spade, 2013). Spade also discusses reproductive justice in connection with population control as it moves away from the individual rights and discusses the relationship between “multiple vectors of harm and how systems of control affect the population.” (Spade, 2013) Spade presents a counter argument that states that population control perpetuates norms that divide the population into those who must be protected and those who are seen as a threat. Thus, in this argument, population control can be seen as a narrow measure instead of intersectional. Liberal intersectional movements have supported increased criminalization in order to address law enforcements response to violence. Spade introduces arguments which argue that increased criminalization leads to increased violence and vulnerability for those involved (Spade, 2013). In reinforcing his main argument, Spade discusses disability justice which moves
First, Chesney-Lind points out that research on female offenders in general is lacking, and that victimization plays a key role in the offending of women. "…Responses must address a world that has been unfair to women and especially those of color and pover...
Collins’ work is also known for stressing the importance of including sexuality as an identity (and social location) that, in combination with gender, race, and class, shapes individuals lived experiences (Moore 2012). In short, Collins has had a major influence on scholars in the sociology of gender, and other disciplines, who continue to explore new ways to practice intersectionality in research (Choo and Ferree 2010; McCall 2005) and broaden its conceptualizations and uses (Bose 2012; Carbado 2013; Purkayastha 2012). Criminology, however, is still one area that would benefit from the integration of intersectional
The researcher Michael T Johnson in 1995 investigated data from the National Family Violence Survey. Johnson reported that “…young married Hispanic women were more likely to experience domestic violence” (). The racial and ethnic groups revealed differences in rates and the forms of abuse. Researchers reported than African American and Hispanic women with low household income and educational status experienced greatest rates of family and domestic violence. According to Women of Color Network (2006) “African American women reported 29.1% intimated partner violence (sexually, physically, and mentally); on the other hand, Hispanic females reported 21.2%” (p. 1-4). The domestic violence rates among African American and Hispanic women have beben related to the sociocultural beliefs of the acceptance of marital abuse; especially, if women have low educational levels and are financially
Men are more likely than women to engage in violent crime (cite), with men commits 15 more percent of crime than women (cite). However, there are women who do engage in violent crime and little is known about their involvement. There are various theories as to why this difference is and why women engage in crime, many of these theories use feminist approaches which address issues such as inequality, systems of oppression, and more. These reasons are all connected and build on another in explaining female criminality and how it differs by race.
Criminology is the study of crime and criminals; a branch of sociology. More accurately, it is the study of crime as a social trend, and its overall origins, its many manifestations and its impact upon society as a whole. That makes it more a form of sociology than a law enforcement tool. But the trends it studies have a huge impact on the way the police do their jobs, the way society treats its criminals, and the way a given community goes about maintaining law and order. The writer will describe and give examples of the three perspectives of viewing crimes. The perspectives that will be highlighted are the consensus view, the conflict view or the interactionist view. Each perspective maintain its own interpretation of what constitutes criminal activities and what causes people to engage in criminal behaviors (Siegel, p.12).