Explaining Ethic Diffences

• •There is so much evidence for institutional racism – both from sociological research, news stories and documents like the Macpherson report – that its existence is almost indisputable.•Therefore, the main differences in explanations for ethnic differences in offending are on how much emphasis they place on institutional racism.
• •Both of the main theories are ones we have already studied – Left Realism and Neo-Marxism.•Task: work through the information and questions on these theories in your booklets (pages 118-119).
• Left realism:

  •Relative deprivation = feeling deprived in relation to others (not given the same opportunities) 45% of the Black community live in poverty, compared to 20% of white British (2007)•Marginalisation = the Black community feel marginalised/isolated, which results in resentment•Subculture = Black minority groups have found illegitimate means to societies problem
• Evaluation of Gilroy:

  •Crime rates amongst early immigrants from the colonies in the 1950s and 1960s were lower than those for the general population, suggesting colonial heritage is not the cause of offending.•It seems contradictory to argue that black  people are being unfairly targeted by police but also that they do commit more crime as a rebellion against racism.
• Evaluation of Hall:

  •Correlation does not equal causation – just because the crisis of capitalism occurred around the same time as the moral panic around mugging, this does not mean it caused it. This can’t be proved.
• Making Synoptic Links

  Although Left Realism and Neo-Marxism are the major theories of ethnicity, you will be rewarded for making links with other theories from the course.
• Making Synoptic Links

  Although Left Realism and Neo-Marxism are the major theories of ethnicity, you will be rewarded for making links with other theories from the course.