Conflict Theory Chapter 10 PDF

Conflict Theory Chapter 10 DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE & CRIMINOLOGY  Racial Threat Hypothesis  Racial threat hypothesis (Blumer, 1958; Blalock, 1967)  [Textbook: “Social Threat” (Liska, 1992) is a similar conceptualization]  Relationship between the prese...

Conflict Theory Chapter 10 DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE & CRIMINOLOGY  Racial Threat Hypothesis  Racial threat hypothesis (Blumer, 1958; Blalock, 1967)  [Textbook: “Social Threat” (Liska, 1992) is a similar conceptualization]  Relationship between the presence of “threatening” social groups & crime control efforts (i.e., law making, enforcement, & administration of justice)  Racial context of communities impacts  Perceptions of threat among the public & agents of social control  Application of punishment & social control on minorities LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO  Racial Threat Hypothesis  Relationship between the presence of “threatening” social groups & crime control efforts (i.e., law making, enforcement, & administration of justice)  As minority racial group populations grow relative to whites  Minority group  Develops ↑power, ↑economic resources, & ↑poli cal influence in community  Better able to compete with whites  Whites may feel  Physically threatened (i.e., feelings of insecurity, fear, & perceived risk)  That their positions of power & privilege are jeopardized  ∴ Whites feel need to  Protect privileged positions of power  Suppress ↑strength of minority group with a variety of social controls LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO  Racial Threat Hypothesis  As minority racial group populations grow  Minority group develops ↑power (i.e., poli cal, social, & monetary capital)  Whites may feel:  Threatened (i.e., physically + their positions of power/ privilege)  ∴ need to protect self/ power by suppressing minorities (via social controls)  But when minority group hits certain size* + political & social power  *Not necessarily majority, but a necessary ‘critical mass’  Minority group able to use power to contest targeted social controls  Punitive severity should level off & even decrease as the minority group reaches sufficient size & prominence LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO  Racial Threat Hypothesis  As minority racial group populations grow  Whites may feel need to protect self/ power by suppressing minorities (via social controls)  Mixed Empirical Support – % minority pop. is positively related to:  Crime control efforts: ↑Size of PD force  ↑White‐on‐black crime as black employment rates approach white levels  ↑Racial/ ethnic disparities in application of punishment & social control  ↑Likelihood of jail/ prison; ↑sentence length; ↑black death penalty sentence  ↑Black lynching’s  ↑Felons’ voting rights limits LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO  For This Week…  For Friday (Nov. 15th), read:  Chapter 13 – Feminist Theory LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO