Understanding Black-White Differences in Support for the Racial Invariance Thesis: Lessons Learned From Philadelphia Area Residents

The racial invariance thesis contends causes of offending are similar across race/ethnicity. Black Criminology perceives some tension with this claim, suggesting instead that Black people share a unique worldview due to the racial oppression they face. This worldview may make Black people more recep...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inCrime and delinquency Vol. 70; no. 2; pp. 291 - 312
Main Authors Cooper, Maisha N., Barnaby, Carlene, Updegrove, Alexander H., Gabbidon, Shaun L.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.02.2024
SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
Subjects
Black people
Black white differences
Civil rights
Crime
Criminology
Ethnicity
Offending
Oppression
Race
Racial differences
Residents
White people
Worldview
United States > US
Philadelphia Pennsylvania
racial invariance
Black Criminology
public opinion
Philadelphia
colorblind
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Summary:The racial invariance thesis contends causes of offending are similar across race/ethnicity. Black Criminology perceives some tension with this claim, suggesting instead that Black people share a unique worldview due to the racial oppression they face. This worldview may make Black people more receptive to criminological explanations identifying race-specific pathways to committing crime. In the post-Civil Rights era, many white people explain social phenomena like crime in colorblind ways. This study used a random sample of Philadelphia area residents to explore whether Black people were less likely than white people to support the racial invariance thesis. Logistic regression analyses revealed the odds of Black Philadelphians agreeing with the racial invariance thesis were 85% higher than the odds for white Philadelphians.
ISSN:0011-1287
1552-387X
DOI:10.1177/00111287221090955