ethnicity and crime

• ethnic group

  • describes people who identify with each other on basis of shared attributes
  • e.g common traditions, ancestry, language, history, culture, religion or social treatmement in a residing area
• statistics

  • show that members of some ethnic groups are overrepresented in the prison population relative to the proportion in the general population
  • 14% of the population are part of a minority ethnic group
  • 25% of the prison population are a minority ethnic group
• stephen lawrence

  • the macpherson report came to the conclusion that the police are institutionally racist
  • their policies, procedures and practices unfairly target certain groups
• functionalist explanation

  • mertons strain theory
  • no resources that will allow them to achieve the cultural goal of success
  • cohens subcultural theory of status frustration
  • cannot achieve status in school because of lack of cultural capital
  • turn to crimes such as gang culture to gain status
  • some minority ethnic groups statistically underachieve in education
  • leading to blocked opportunities and then subcultures form
  • rule breaking becomes primary source of status