Is the issue of crime in predominantly black communities a structural or cultural issue? By using the lens of Critical Race Theory (CRT) we can begin to understand that the answer is not as simple as blaming everything on cultural or structural barriers. Instead, the deep rooted causes of crime are entrenched in many aspects of both culture and society. We can see this through education, wealth disparities, and more factors entrenched in America.
To begin to understand why crime rates are higher in communities like St. Louis and Kansas City, we must evaluate structural and cultural issues in those communities that may be causing the high crime rates. Though conservatives and liberals alike believe that the majority of the blame should …show more content…
For example, there has been heightened awareness recently in the media and academia of the “school-to-prison pipeline.” This is the idea that minority students face harsher discipline penalties than their White counterparts. With the disciplinary suspensions and expulsions, minority students then become disengaged with the educational process and drop out of school (Lind, et al., 2015). This has a troubling effect according to Economists from the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Western Ontario. They found that, “schooling significantly reduces criminal activity. This finding is robust to different identification strategies and measures of criminal activity. The estimated effect of schooling on imprisonment is consistent with its estimated effect on both arrests and self-reported crime” (Lochner, et al., 2003). The preceding study illustrates an important point, graduating high school has a great affect on reducing crime. So it is troubling to then see the disparities in graduation rate results from the 2012 U.S. Department of Education report, which found that 85 percent of White students graduate, 76 percent of Hispanic students graduate and 68 percent of African-American students graduate (Balfanz, et al.,
To begin to understand why crime rates are higher in communities like St. Louis and Kansas City, we must evaluate structural and cultural issues in those communities that may be causing the high crime rates. Though conservatives and liberals alike believe that the majority of the blame should …show more content…
For example, there has been heightened awareness recently in the media and academia of the “school-to-prison pipeline.” This is the idea that minority students face harsher discipline penalties than their White counterparts. With the disciplinary suspensions and expulsions, minority students then become disengaged with the educational process and drop out of school (Lind, et al., 2015). This has a troubling effect according to Economists from the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Western Ontario. They found that, “schooling significantly reduces criminal activity. This finding is robust to different identification strategies and measures of criminal activity. The estimated effect of schooling on imprisonment is consistent with its estimated effect on both arrests and self-reported crime” (Lochner, et al., 2003). The preceding study illustrates an important point, graduating high school has a great affect on reducing crime. So it is troubling to then see the disparities in graduation rate results from the 2012 U.S. Department of Education report, which found that 85 percent of White students graduate, 76 percent of Hispanic students graduate and 68 percent of African-American students graduate (Balfanz, et al.,