SOC109 Lec 19-20

Critical Race Theory

A perspective that examines how racism is embedded in laws and social institutions, emphasizing that the legal system can reproduce racial inequalities even when it appears neutral.

W.E.B. DuBois

one of the intellectual founding fathers of contemporary Sociology. Played a foundational role in shaping the concept of social constructionism

social constructionism

The view that reality, knowledge, and social categories (like crime, gender, or deviance) are created and shaped through social interactions, cultural norms, and shared meanings rather than being purely natural or objective.

Race as a social construct

The idea that race is not a biological reality but a category created and shaped by social, historical, and cultural processes, with real consequences for how people are treated and organized in society.

racialization

Through _______________, certain characteristics and behaviours are associated with people based on their supposed 'race'.

Racialization of crime

Association of crime with specific racial groups. Reflected in the racialization of crime and the criminalization of race

over, under-policing

Racialized people face '____' and '_____-________', including unequal protection of the law

over-policing

often entails excessive surveillance, harassment, and street stops

Under-policing

involves poor service, disrespectful treatment, and victim-blaming

Racial Profiling

the use of race or ethnicity as grounds for suspecting someone of having committed an offense.

racial animus model

argues that racially biased policing involves only a small number of corrupt officers (suggests that it is an individual problem, not a systemic one)

bad apples thesis

The idea that misconduct or discrimination is caused by a small number of individuals with negative attitudes, rather than being a systemic issue within institutions.

Implicit Bias

attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner

Pretextual Stops

officers stopping a suspect for a minor violation with the goal of eliciting another, more serious violation (associated with bias)

distrust

Racial profiling can contribute to ________ in the police, the wider criminal justice system, and other social institutions

Labelling

The process by which individuals are assigned labels (e.g., "criminal" or "deviant") that influence how they are treated by others and how they view themselves.

Prisons

a type of government controlled or sanctioned correctional facilities intended for adults convicted of serious offences. long-term confinement

24

In Canada, offenders who have received sentences of __ months or more must service their sentence in a federal prison

rare

Prior to the 18th century, imprisonment was ____ and most punishments involved shaming, violence, exile, or death. When people were incarcerated it was typically to hold them until they could be punished.

penitentiary

a prison for people convicted of serious crimes. based on the belief that confinement could be used to reform individuals

John Howard

a former English sheriff who was a strong advocate for humanitarianism and prison reform

reformist, humanitarian

___________ and ______________ ideas influenced the design of prisons in Canada and the U.S

disproportionately

Indigenous, Black, and multiracial persons are _________________ represented among incarcerated persons in Canada. Indigenous peoples are the most overrepresented group in the custodial population

Mass Incarceration

extremely high rates of imprisonment, particularly faced by Indigenous and Black persons

rational choice

states that mass incarceration happens to deter crime when crime rates rise

penal populism

states that mass incarceration happens when politicians respond to public fear of crime by supporting tougher policies to gain public approval

critical criminology

states the mass incarceration is used to control and manage marginalized groups, not just reduce crime

critical race theory (New Jim Crow)

states that mass incarceration happens as a modern form of racial control, disproportionately affecting radicalized groups and reinforcing inequality

total institution

A place (e.g., prison) where individuals are isolated from society and live under constant surveillance, with tightly controlled routines, shared living conditions, and all activities organized around institutional authority and goals.

degradation ceremony

A process in which an individual is publicly humiliated or stripped of their identity and status as punishment for violating rules within a total institution

civil death

The loss of individual identity and personal autonomy that occurs when a person fully conforms to institutional rules, effectively giving up their rights and sense of self.

loss, deprivation, relationships, autonomy, security

Five primary pains of imprisonment:

1. ____ of liberty

2. _____________ of goods and services

3. loss of intimate ________________

4. deprivation of ________________

5. deprivation of _______________

deprivation model

The theory that the prison code develops as a response to the harsh conditions and "pains of imprisonment" within the prison environment.

importation model

The theory that the prison code reflects the values, norms, and behaviours inmates bring with them from outside society.