Dr Nicholson
Week 7 Qualitative Research Project Part 2
9 Feb 2014
Introduction
Since the 1990’s Racial Profiling has become a major issue in our society. There has been an abundance of court cases, killings and protests where people from the Black community feel that they are being harassed, stopped and questioned or arrested, simply for their outward appearance and look. Racial profiling for the most part has been linked to the police and their investigative methods. However racial profiling is not just limited to the police and their methods. Since 9/11 and the Iraq war racial profiling has become apparent in our view and beliefs against the Muslim/Islamic community.
Summary
My topic of discussion for my project is racial profiling and how it affects a certain socioeconomic group. The type of …show more content…
research that I will use in my project is the Qualitative Method, using Ethnographic research. By using this form of qualitative research you can target all aspects of the social settings and attempt to find out and describe how various parts fit together, where the Quantitative method would not be ideal because it mainly deals with numbers and statistics. In this type of research you need to have behavior and social qualities that numbers cannot measure.
Ethnographic research is the best type of research to use for this issue of “racial Profiling” because “it is based on a broad perspective that emphasizes looking for the meaning attached to social setting by the participants. Ethnographic research is not confined to any method of data collection. But is typically is based on a small number of cases and depends on intensive open-ended interactions with them”. (Dorsten, L. 2014)
Analysis
The first article that I will analyze is “Racial Profiling and Police Subculture”. The article deals with is the practice of subjecting citizens to increased surveillance or scrutiny based on racial or ethical factors rather than “reasonable suspicion.” (Chan, J. 2011). The article touches on how racial profiling is difficult to prove when dealing with the police and their investigative methods.
The second article “Is Racial Profiling Just? Making Criminal Justice Policy in the Original Position”. This article discusses how racial profiling is addressed without using racism and with using racism. The author attempts to prove is racial profiling is just?
Finally the third article titled “The Art of the Unseen: Three Challenges for Racial Profiling”. In this article the author attempts to express how racial profiling is analyzed using the moral status when dealing the costs and benefits involved in police investigative procedures.
Methodology
How does racial profiling affect the black community.
Racial profiling affects the black community directly by police continually going outside of their way to stop, harass or arrest blacks simply by the fact that they look a certain way. It affects the black community indirectly because the black community knows or experiences racial profiling and no longer have complete trust of policemen.
Hypothesis
Through my research on the topic of “Racial Profiling” have noticed that there are many issues of the black community that are affected, be it by discomfort, senseless, irrational methods of police and society.
Conclusion
Racial profiling is a pervasive nationwide practice that federal and local law enforcement agencies use. Whatever type of racial profiling that is demonstrated is an unjust and ineffective method of law enforcement. There are now more laws, policies and procedures that are now in place to help alleviate racial profiling towards any type of race, origin or ethnicity. Becoming more aware of these issues will help and deter any type of unjust, unlawful type of discrimination towards
anyone.
References
Chan, J. (2011). Racial Profiling and Police Subculture. 75-77.
Dorsten, L. E. (2014). Research Methods and Society. Pearson Custom Library.
Reiman, J. (2011). Is Racial Profiling Just ? Making Criminal Justice Policy in the Original Position. 1-5.
Thomsen, F. K. (2010). The Art of the Unseen: Three Challenges for Racial Profiling. Department of Philosophy and Science Studies, 100-115.