Annotated Bibliography Brittany Benjamin 02-16-2023 Riccucci

4annotated Bibliographybrittany Benjamin02162023riccucci N M Van

The assignment requires an annotated bibliography that synthesizes scholarly research related to racial profiling, its impacts on law enforcement, communities, and social justice issues. Specifically, it involves summarizing key findings from selected academic sources, analyzing their contributions to understanding racial disparities, profiling practices, and strategies for addressing these issues.

Paper For Above instruction

Racial profiling remains a critical issue within the criminal justice system and broader societal contexts, implicating both systemic biases and community relationships with law enforcement. Analyzing scholarship on this topic reveals insights into how racial profiling manifests, its consequences, and potential solutions to mitigate its harms.

The research by Riccucci, Van Ryzin, and Jackson (2018) employs the concept of symbolic representation to explore how Black officers influence public perceptions of police fairness and trustworthiness. Their survey experiment demonstrates that Black citizens tend to view law enforcement more positively when there is higher representation of Black officers, indicating that symbolic representation can impact how communities assess police performance. However, their findings also suggest that increased Black representation does not uniformly enhance perceptions and may sometimes be perceived negatively, highlighting the complexity of racial dynamics in policing.

In a related vein, Teasley et al. (2018) utilize the Trayvon Martin case to illuminate how racial profiling and Black male stigma contribute to social injustice and inequality. Their analysis underscores that racial profiling not only targets individuals based on racial stereotypes but also perpetuates harmful social narratives that stigmatize Black men. They advocate for collaboration with social organizations to neutralize these destructive stereotypes and foster social justice.

Kovera (2019) expands on this theme by examining racial disparities across the criminal justice system, emphasizing areas such as policing, jury selection, and incarceration. She points out that biases embedded in jury composition and law enforcement practices sustain racial inequalities. She proposes policy reforms that promote race-neutral procedures to reduce bias and promote equitable justice, emphasizing systemic over individual-level solutions.

Financial and consumer contexts also reveal the pervasive nature of racial profiling. Pittman (2020) investigates the experiences of Black consumers in retail settings, finding that racial stigma influences how Black shoppers are perceived and treated. Their research demonstrates that racial stereotypes can alter the perceived ownership, value, and treatment of products associated with Black consumers, revealing that racial bias extends beyond law enforcement into everyday social interactions.

Gaston (2019) provides a neighborhood-level analysis of racial differences in drug arrests within St. Louis. His study observes that neighborhoods with higher racial compositions show more discriminatory policing, with officers engaging in out-of-place profiling based on racial stereotypes. His findings highlight that neighborhood demographics and socioeconomic disadvantages interplay to produce racial disparities in drug enforcement, emphasizing that geographic and social contexts influence policing practices.

Headley and Wright (2020) critically examine the prevalence of racial disparities in police use of force and arrests. Their work questions whether increased representation alone can address disparities, arguing that systemic biases remain entrenched despite demographic changes within police forces. Their analysis underscores the need for comprehensive policy reforms that target the root causes of racial disparities in policing.

Overall, scholarship indicates that racial profiling and disparities are deeply embedded in criminal justice and social systems. Addressing these issues requires multifaceted approaches, including increasing diversity in law enforcement, reforming policies to eliminate racial biases, and fostering community engagement to rebuild trust. Recognizing the nuanced effects of representation and the importance of systemic change is crucial for advancing social justice and equitable policing.

References

  • Gaston, S. (2019). Enforcing race: A neighborhood-level explanation of Black–White differences in drug arrests. Crime & Delinquency, 65(4), 429–455.
  • Headley, A. M., & Wright, J. E. (2020). Is representation enough? Racial disparities in levels of force and arrests by police. Public Administration Review, 80(6), 1004–1014.
  • Kovera, M. B. (2019). Racial disparities in the criminal justice system: Prevalence, causes, and a search for solutions. Journal of Social Issues, 75(4), 892–909.
  • Pittman, C. (2020). “Shopping while Black”: Black consumers’ management of racial stigma and racial profiling in retail settings. Journal of Consumer Culture, 20(1), 3–22.
  • Riccucci, N. M., Van Ryzin, G. G., & Jackson, K. (2018). Representative bureaucracy, race, and policing: A survey experiment. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 28(4), 574–588.
  • Teasley, M. L., Schiele, J. H., Adams, C., & Okilwa, N. S. (2018). Trayvon Martin: Racial profiling, Black male stigma, and social work practice. Social Work, 63(1), 37–46.
  • Wright, J. E., & Headley, A. M. (2020). Examining racial disparities in police use of force: Does demographic diversity matter? Justice Quarterly, 37(2), 234–259.