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Lesson 1: Introduction to Race and Crime
Introduction
The purpose of this lesson is to provide the foundations for studying race and crime. First, the lesson defines the controversial terms race and ethnicity. The lesson also reviews the various sources of crime data and what they tell us about racial disparities in crime and victimization. Such disparities are not new, so we explore some of the earliest foundations of the issue. Finally, after realizing that all racial and ethnic groups in America have at some point been the focus of race and crime concerns, the lesson examines the similarities and differences between the experiences of the varying groups.
Objectives
By the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
- Define the concept of race and how it intersects with criminal justice;
- Review crime and victimization statistics by race;
- Examine the history of race and crime in America; and
- Appraise the common criminal justice-related experiences of American racial and ethnic groups.
Please complete readings and assignments as listed on the course schedule.