Racial Profiling Sociology

Racial Profiling Examined Through Different Aspects of Sociology Racial profiling is the practice of targeting a particular individual or group of individuals by law enforcement authorities or other authoritative figures based not on their behavior, but rather on their personal characteristics (“What is Racial Profiling”). This is something that is practiced in the United States far more than most people know or would like to admit. Racial profiling is often used by airlines, police, and government agencies. It targets people of color for humiliating and often frightening detentions, interrogations, and searches without evidence of criminal activity. It can be based on perceived race, ethnicity, national origin or religion (“Racial Profiling”).

One practice that has become common in larger American cities that has caused many to question its legality is the “Stop and Frisk” procedure. Due to the Fourth Amendment, the law requires that the police have a reasonable suspicion that a crime has been, is being, or is about to be committed before they may stop a suspect. If the police reasonably suspect the person is armed and dangerous, they may conduct a frisk on the person (“Stop and Frisk”). The issue with this is that people are stopped solely due to imagery, which gives one a perception of something without necessarily having any suspicion based on an actual episode based in reality. This also means that those in law enforcement are subject to using generalities in their judgments, based on limited reason. This in turn may result in racism and bigotry in their actions whether intentional or

The circumstances surrounding Michael Brown’s death have caused people around the world to take sides. Many believe the officer was well within his rights to shoot the unarmed teen numerous times, including multiple wounds to his head. Others believe this is just another example of how people of color receive a different standard of law enforcement and are deemed “thugs” and more dangerous and expendable than their white peers. It seems that people in a position of power frequently and sometimes unintentionally do use stereotypes and created images in their minds about others, to jump to rash decisions. This is one example of cultural hegemony in society, because the racism and bigotry, which have been produced by members of society, have influenced peoples’ behavior patterns and decisions through ways of ignorance among the citizens of the United States. Most times the consequences of these decisions go unnoticed by the average population, but when the consequences are dire they force a spotlight to be shone on the practice of racial profiling. This forces mass media to cover an epidemic that most would prefer not to admit exists. While people