Class, Race, Gender, and Crime: The Social Realities of Justice in America

by Gregg Barak, Paul Leighton, Allison Cotton

Overview

Class, Race, Gender, and Crime is a popular, and provocative, introduction to crime and the criminal justice system through the lens of class, race, gender, and their intersections. The book systematically explores how the main sites of power and privilege in the United States consciously or unconsciously shape our understanding of crime and justice in society today.

The fifth edition maintains the overall structure of the fourth edition—including consistent headings in chapters for class, race, gender, and intersections—with updated examples, current data, and recent theoretical developments throughout. This new edition includes expanded discussions of police violence and the Black Lives Matter movement, immigration, and queer criminology.

This book is accompanied by instructor ancillaries. See the Resources tab for more information.

Instructor’s Manual. For each chapter in the text, this valuable resource provides a chapter outline, chapter summary, and suggestions for additional projects and activities related to the chapter.

Test Bank. The Test Bank includes multiple choice, true-false, fill-in-the-blank, short answer, and essay questions for each chapter. The Test Bank is available as a Word document, PDF, or through the test management system Respondus.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442268852
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	03/15/2018
Edition description:	Fifth Edition
Pages:	344
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.80(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Gregg Barak is professor in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology at Eastern Michigan University. His publications include Violence, Conflict and World Order: Critical Conversations on State Sanctioned Justice 2006, Crime, Inequality, and Justice: Integrating Class, Race, and Gender, 2nd edition, Violence and Nonviolence: Pathways to Understanding, Class, Race, Gender, and Crime, Crime and Crime Control: A Global View, Varieties of Criminology: Readings from a Dynamic Discipline, Gimme Shelter: A Social History of Homelessness in Contemporary America, among other titles. He is widely published in academic journals and has contributed many book chapters.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Crime, Inequality, and Justice

Part I: Crime Control and Criminology

1The Crime Control Enterprise and Its Workers

2Criminology and the Study of Class, Race, Gender, and Crime

Part II: Inequality and Privilege

3Understanding Class and Economic Privilege

4Understanding Race and White Privilege

5Understanding Gender and Male Privilege

6Understanding Privilege and the Intersections of Class, Race, and Gender

Part III: Law and Criminal Justice

7Victimology and Patterns of Victimization

8Lawmaking and the Administration of Criminal Law

9Law Enforcement and Criminal Prosecution

10Punishment, Sentencing, and Imprisonment

Conclusion: Crime, Justice, and Policy

Editorial Reviews

The fifth edition of Class, Race, Gender, and Crime is, as in previous editions, a well-articulated discussion of the structural inequalities found throughout American society and reinforced through criminal justice system practices. However, this edition in particular is a timely addition to discussions of inequities within our society. The authors shine a harsh light on the nature, origin, and malignancy of long-standing and entrenched disparities that continue to marginalize, disadvantage, and disenfranchise the most vulnerable of American citizens. In doing so, the authors call immediate attention to the inherent and often untapped potential of the criminal justice system to embody and perpetuate the ideals of justice and equality.” —Jay P. Kennedy, Assistant Professor, School of Criminal Justice, Michigan State University

“Barak, Leighton, and Cotton give us a much-needed lesson about the actual realities of social control in the United States—masterfully delineating the simultaneous interactions of historical, legal, economic, social, political, and ideological forces defining, shaping, and governing criminal justice policy, enforcement, and discourse over time. The authors skillfully reveal the troubling realities of justice in America, with an astute view of those who live in the margins of society—oppressed and silenced—skewed or untold stories that need to be exposed. In today’s highly charged political atmosphere, Class, Race, Gender, and Crime provides readers a first-class education!” —Martin Guevara Urbina, Sul Ross State University

“The authors once again demonstrate how class, race, gender, and crime—four explosive topics we're reluctant to talk about publicly—are interrelated and, more important, how these issues effect each and every one of us. For the authors, 'class' is not shorthand for the poor but includes the middle and upper class; 'gender' is not shorthand for women but includes men; 'race' is not shorthand for minorities but includes whites; and 'crime' is not shorthand for street crime but includes the crimes of the rich and powerful. Enlightening, sobering, and ultimately essential reading. This is admirable work.” —Katheryn Russell-Brown, University of Florida

“The authors have revised and updated their excellent critical exploration of the impact of class, race, and gender on criminal justice practice in the United States. As with the earlier editions, written in clear, lively, jargon-free language, the book is an excellent text for students of criminal justice or criminology at all levels. No one can read this text without realizing the depth and complexity of the problems that face those who would make our criminal justice system truly a system of justice.” —Jeffrey Reiman, American University; coauthor of The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison

“A hallmark of a great textbook is the ability to make students think in a critical and discriminating manner. This edition of Class, Race, Gender, and Crime is the epitome of a great text for not only students of criminal justice or criminology but all who are interested in the 'justness' of the criminal justice system. This revised and updated version has again systematically outlined the core issues and the complexity of class, race, and gender—and the importance of the interrelatedness of these concepts. The objectiveness of the text works to transform readers into critical consumers of knowledge. That is instrumental in higher learning, and this text has captured that critical objective. This edition has propelled this book to rank as one of the best texts written on the issue of class, race, gender, and crime in the fields of criminal justice, criminology, and justice studies.” —Denise D. Nation, Winston-Salem State University

From the Publisher

Barak, Leighton, and Cotton give us a much-needed lesson about the actual realities of social control in the United States—masterfully delineating the simultaneous interactions of historical, legal, economic, social, political, and ideological forces defining, shaping, and governing criminal justice policy, enforcement, and discourse over time. The authors skillfully reveal the troubling realities of justice in America, with an astute view of those who live in the margins of society—oppressed and silenced—skewed or untold stories that need to be exposed. In today’s highly charged political atmosphere, Class, Race, Gender, and Crime provides readers a first-class education!

Martin Guevara Urbina

The authors have revised and updated their excellent critical exploration of the impact of class, race, and gender on criminal justice practice in the United States. As with the earlier editions, written in clear, lively, jargon-free language, the book is an excellent text for students of criminal justice or criminology at all levels. No one can read this text without realizing the depth and complexity of the problems that face those who would make our criminal justice system truly a system of justice.

Jeffrey Reiman

The authors once again demonstrate how class, race, gender, and crime—four explosive topics we're reluctant to talk about publicly—are interrelated and, more important, how these issues effect each and every one of us. For the authors, 'class' is not shorthand for the poor but includes the middle and upper class; 'gender' is not shorthand for women but includes men; 'race' is not shorthand for minorities but includes whites; and 'crime' is not shorthand for street crime but includes the crimes of the rich and powerful. Enlightening, sobering, and ultimately essential reading. This is admirable work.

Katheryn Russell-Brown

A hallmark of a great textbook is the ability to make students think in a critical and discriminating manner. This edition of Class, Race, Gender, and Crime is the epitome of a great text for not only students of criminal justice or criminology but all who are interested in the 'justness' of the criminal justice system. This revised and updated version has again systematically outlined the core issues and the complexity of class, race, and gender—and the importance of the interrelatedness of these concepts. The objectiveness of the text works to transform readers into critical consumers of knowledge. That is instrumental in higher learning, and this text has captured that critical objective. This edition has propelled this book to rank as one of the best texts written on the issue of class, race, gender, and crime in the fields of criminal justice, criminology, and justice studies.

Denise D. Nation

The fifth edition of Class, Race, Gender, and Crime is, as in previous editions, a well-articulated discussion of the structural inequalities found throughout American society and reinforced through criminal justice system practices. However, this edition in particular is a timely addition to discussions of inequities within our society. The authors shine a harsh light on the nature, origin, and malignancy of long-standing and entrenched disparities that continue to marginalize, disadvantage, and disenfranchise the most vulnerable of American citizens. In doing so, the authors call immediate attention to the inherent and often untapped potential of the criminal justice system to embody and perpetuate the ideals of justice and equality.

Jay P. Kennedy

The authors do a fine job of making their arguments and supporting them with current research and data. People familiar with the critical criminology perspective will enjoy the work and may take away something they have not thought about. Those not familiar with the critical perspective will most likely learn a great deal and appreciate the different perspective that critical criminology provides.

Criminal Justive Review, December 2007 - Ellen C. Lemley

Class, Race, Gender, and Crime: The Social Realities of Justice in America is highly recommended for those who wish to learn more about the complex ways that race, class and gender condition the experience of justice - and injustice - in the United States. This book exposes the powerful and complex relationship between identity, structured social inequality, law, and the everyday practice of justice. The strengths of the new edition include its extended discussion of victimization, criminal justice practice, and policy, as well as its interrogation of the role of law and media in the social construction of difference. Students in my classes praise the text for its readability, conceptual clarity, rich examples, and contemporary relevance - it's an informative and engaging read!

Nancy A. Wonders

Praise for the second edition: The authors do a fine job of making their arguments and supporting them with current research and data. People familiar with the critical criminology perspective will enjoy the work and may take away something they have not thought about. Those not familiar with the critical perspective will most likely learn a great deal and appreciate the different perspective that critical criminology provides.

Criminal Justice Review