Examine Sociological Theories Essay

discover sociological theories that explain the ethnic dimension to crime and deviance (21 marks) late statistics show that subdued people argon five times to a greater extent credibly to be in prison than whites. Ethnic groups are heavy over represented in prisons. Waddington et al investigated whether ethnic groups were targeted by the law and whether they were treated unfairly. Waddington et al concluded that these ethnic minorities were stopped and searched more be stick they were bulge out on the street at the time.His research could be criticised because he unaccompaniedsome(prenominal) interviewed the practice of law, he didnt interview the groups that were treated by the police. This would result in the police possibly lieing and saying that they treat the black people rightful(prenominal) as equally as they treat white people. Phillips and Bowling would protest with Waddington et al as they believe that the over policing of ethnic neighbourhoods creates resent ment. After the remainder of Stephen Lawrence the McPherson report stated that poor black areas were over policed but chthonian protected.This would again back up Phillips and Bowling and their theory of over policing in poor black areas. This angers the people in these poor areas because of the fact that the police are only targeting them for certain crimes such as drugs. The report states that they go forth randomly pick on a working line black male rather than someone else for a stop and search as they believe these people are more likely to be prop drugs. This leaves the rest of the people under protected because the police arent concentrating on other crimes such as robbery or assault.Skolnick believes that most police stereotype the childlike black male as being a typical offender. He says that these stereotypical impressions come from the canteen culture and it is this belief that backs up Phillips and Bowling, as they would say that this belief would lead to the over p olicing in the poor black areas. Drabble investigated whether black people were treated unfairly in the courts. He engraft that blacks were more likely to be charged with more serious forms of offence than whites, whites were more likely to be cautioned whereas blacks were more likely to be prosecuted.This is evidence of institutional racism mentioned in the McPherson report. Hood found that black people were more like to receive custodial sentences even so though other punishments such as fines and community service were operable alternatives. Fitzgerald researched ethnic minority street crime in London. He interviewed young ethnic minority offenders and their mothers and found that the high the levels of deprivation in an area, the higher(prenominal) the levels of crime.It is a statistic that Afro Caribbean households are more likely to be headed by lone parent families, which then results in higher crime in the family. This relate in with Charles Murray who said that lone pa rent families would result in higher chances of failure at score and therefore higher chances of them hitching to crime. It in any case links in with left realism and Jock Young and keister Leas theory of relative deprivation. They say that people confide crime when they feel deprived, the media stresses the importance of economic goods and some will turn to crime to get these goods.They also say marginalisation is a fountain for the increase in crime because of young black men are made to feel on the edge of society with nobody to stalemate up for them, this causes frustration and resentment which leads to crime being committed. These reasons then cause an increase in subcultures or gangs and therefore an increase in crime. all(prenominal) of these researchers could be criticised as they reinforce stereotypes of the young black male as well as not looking at white, middle class crime. This would then link in with Marxism and the fact that the upper class are being treated mo re fairly with crime they commit than the lower class.