ABSTRACT
The theoretical perspectives introduced in this section involve the relationship between two important variables – crime and race. Today, race is correctly understood as a social construct, meaning race is based on a few physical attributes that are only important due to the social meanings placed on them. Race, therefore, is a means of categorizing people by certain traits, traits which in turn impact an individual’s specific identity based on the construct. Racial stereotypes are common in society and often interfere with the effective administration of justice; therefore, a conflict approach has augmented racial perspectives on criminology. The theorists and scholars in this section have produced theoretical advances, empirical research, and activism that put race at the center of discussions on criminality. African American scholar W.E.B. Du Bois has only recently been considered a legitimate founder of sociology and a key contributor to criminological theory, a fact that demonstrates the continuing legacy of racial discrimination. His call for a group of African American leaders to promote change (the “talented tenth”) was answered by Monroe Work who provided empirical support for theories of race and crime. Du Bois also influenced a recent perspective known as critical race theory (CRT) which was started in legal studies and was extended into other areas such as criminology by scholars such as Derrick Bell and Richard Delgado.
