ABSTRACT
Life experiences influence our identity and how we act. Weis and Fine (2000) summarized findings from a research study about crime that they conducted in Buffalo, New York and Jersey City, New Jersey. One question they posed to research participants was, “If the President were to come to your city to hold a town meeting, what problems would you want him to pay attention to?” (p. 3). “Crime” was the near universal response . An in-depth analysis of data refuted respondents’ seemingly homogeneous view that nearly all city residents feared violent crime. Depending on their race, gender, and class, participants differed about which crimes were the most serious, as well as who perpetrated the most serious crimes. African American men expressed concern about state-initiated violence (e.g., police harassment and entrapment). Conversely, White men highlighted escalating street violence, mostly perpetrated by men of color. Domestic or home-based violence concerned African American women more than street violence or state-initiated violence. White men trusted police and viewed them as protectors from and responders to crimes. In contrast, people of color, as well as some White women, distrusted police. These enclaves viewed police as perpetrators of crime and corruption. Modifying a popular idiom best captures the essence of these revised findings: Crime and criminals are in the eye of the beholder. Past experiences influence one’s contemporary beliefs. Understanding researchers’ life stories is essential to understanding how they make meaning of their findings. This is true of me.
