Racial Discrimination and Hirschi's Criminological Classic: A Chapter in the Sociology of Knowledge

Race, Social Bonds, and Juvenile Attitudes toward the Police

“…The inclusion of social bonds variables does not attenuate the significant impact of race on juvenile attitudes. Thus, race and racial animus continue to be a lived reality of America (Unnever et al, 2009). Forty years after the seminal report by the 1967 President's Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice, the black-white dichotomy remains one of the most prominent features of public sentiments toward and perceptions of the police (President's Commission, 1967).…”

“…However, in rejection of strain theory's discrimination hypothesis, Hirschi sanitized social bond theory of race-related considerations (Unnever et al, 2009). In light of Unnever et al's assertions, it is reasonable to integrate race into social bond theory and extend it to explain juvenile attitudes toward the police.…”

“…The continuing salience of racial discrimination and animus in the USA has produced a cumulative disadvantage for blacks, which whites do not suffer (Sampson & Lauritsen, 1997). Negative relations that stem from perceived racial discrimination can foster crime and delinquency (Unnever et al, 2009). Further, injustices perpetrated by the legal system against minorities, historically and contemporarily, can promote mistrust of the system.…”

“…Third, race is a strain variable (Unnever et al, 2009). The continuing salience of racial discrimination and animus in the USA has produced a cumulative disadvantage for blacks, which whites do not suffer (Sampson & Lauritsen, 1997).…”

Agency Slack and the Design of Criminal Justice Institutions

“…Whether motivated by individual bad motives or structural forces, pervasive patterns of racially disparate policing and incarnation powerfully communicates a message of social stigma and hierarchy, one that resonates with America's long and recent history of racial subordination (Epps et al 2014; Goffman 2014). That message, at least one study suggests, may have criminogenic effects (Unnever et al 2009). Stigmatic and demoralization effects have been identified as following from the disparate treatment of other ethnic minorities (Tyler et al, 2010).…”