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

by Paul Leighton, Gregg Barak, Allison Cotton, Carrie L. Buist, K. Sebastian León

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538173282
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	10/14/2024
Edition description:	Sixth Edition
Pages:	370
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.77(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Gregg Barak is professor of criminology and criminal justice at Eastern Michigan University. He is the author of a number of books, including most recently his award-winning book, Unchecked Corporate Power: Why the Crimes of Multinational Corporations Are Routinized Away and What We Can Do About It (2017).

Paul Leighton is professor of criminology and criminal justice at Eastern Michigan University. He is author or co-author of several books, including Punishment for Sale: Private Prisons, Big Business, and the Incarceration Binge and The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison: Ideology, Class, and Criminal Justice.

Allison Cotton is professor of criminology and criminal justice at Metropolitan State University of Denver. She is author of the book Effigy: Images of Capital Defendants.

Carrie Buist is associate professor of criminology, criminal justice, and legal studies at Grand Valley State University. She is the author of Queer Criminology (Routledge 2016).

K. Sebastian León is associate professor of Latino and Caribbean Studies and Criminal Justice at Rutgers University, New Brunswick. He is the author of Corrupt Capital (Routledge 2021)

Table of Contents

Introduction: Crime, Inequality, and Justice

Part I: Crime Control and Criminology
1  The Crime Control Enterprise and Its Workers
2  Criminology and the Study of Class, Race, Gender, and Crime

Part II: Inequality and Privilege
3  Understanding Class and Economic Privilege
4  Understanding Race and White Privilege
5  Understanding Gender and Male Privilege
6  Understanding Privilege and the Intersections of Class, Race, and Gender

Part III: Law and Criminal Justice
7  Victimology and Patterns of Victimization
8  Lawmaking and the Administration of Criminal Law
9  Law Enforcement and Criminal Prosecution
10  Punishment, Sentencing, and Imprisonment

Conclusion: Crime, Justice, and Policy

Glossary

Editorial Reviews

In this timely updated edition, the authors continue their conflict analysis of the administration of justice in the United States. As a nation with a vile history of racism, settler colonialism, and heteropatriarchy, the book masterfully dissects how these forms of oppression pervade and sustain the crime control enterprise.

Michael Mitchell

This fundamental text challenges conventional narratives and fosters critical thinking. An indispensable resource for understanding how the criminal legal system perpetuates harm through power, privilege, and inequality, this edition solidifies its place as seminal work in criminal justice and criminology for students and scholars alike.

Lisa Monchalin

Previous versions of the text shaped my students’ perspectives for over 10 years on how social inequalities shape the criminal justice system. The new edition provides critical insights into systemic biases and their impact on justice and society with an opportunity to tackle the deep complexities of diversity.

Aaron Kinzel

I can confidently attest that this is an excellent text for providing a thought-provoking journey that stimulates critical thinking for students of the criminology and criminal justice field. Class, Race, Gender, and Crime will leave students and practitioners with a deeper understanding of our field. The authors once again present this text in a manner that reaches all levels of practitioners as well as academics seeking to critically explore the impact of class, race, and gender in the United States criminal justice system.

Chris Bakke

The authors provide a profound and comprehensive review of the administration of justice. The book is written with homage to history and critical intersectional frameworks. This edition is a significant and necessary update that is sure to become a standard in courses on class, race, gender, and state violence.

Jason Williams

The most critical questions about crime and justice should not be asked—and cannot be answered—absent scrutiny about structures of inequality in society that privilege some groups and marginalize others. The authors of Class, Race, Gender and Crime: The Social Realities of Justice in America have long championed this viewpoint and continue to do so in the latest edition of their volume, which brings fresh observations and insights to enduring as well as new challenges. Their careful and thoughtful treatment of class, race, gender, and sexuality and how they intersect yields the kind of candid analysis that can only come from examining multiple, and intersecting, aspects of identity. In an age of misinformation and disinformation, Class, Race, Gender and Crime is essential reading for understanding the realities of crime and justice in the 2020s—and beyond.

Charis E. Kubrin

This new edition of Class, Race, Gender and Crime is a much-needed, critical examination of the socio-legal context of what is officially defined as crime and legal system responses. The authors deftly meld theory, research, and intersectional analysis to illuminate the gaps between the ideals and realities of the legal system; engagingly written, the myriad examples of how inequality is both created and perpetuated along class, race, and gender/sexuality intersections will resonate with students. The text will help readers see both the ‘forest’ and the ‘trees’ that comprise the inequalities of society, including the legal system. An exciting updated version of an already excellent teaching resource.

Diana Grant

This fundamental text challenges conventional narratives and fosters critical thinking. An indispensable resource for understanding how the criminal legal system perpetuates harm through power, privilege, and inequality, this edition solidifies its place as seminal work in criminal justice and criminology for students and scholars alike.” —Lisa Monchalin, Kwantlen Polytechnic University

“I can confidently attest that this is an excellent text for providing a thought-provoking journey that stimulates critical thinking for students of the criminology and criminal justice field. Class, Race, Gender, and Crime will leave students and practitioners with a deeper understanding of our field. The authors once again present this text in a manner that reaches all levels of practitioners as well as academics seeking to critically explore the impact of class, race, and gender in the United States criminal justice system.” —Chris Bakke, Pittsburg State University

“The most critical questions about crime and justice should not be asked—and cannot be answered—absent scrutiny about structures of inequality in society that privilege some groups and marginalize others. The authors of Class, Race, Gender and Crime: The Social Realities of Justice in America have long championed this viewpoint and continue to do so in the latest edition of their volume, which brings fresh observations and insights to enduring as well as new challenges. Their careful and thoughtful treatment of class, race, gender, and sexuality and how they intersect yields the kind of candid analysis that can only come from examining multiple, and intersecting, aspects of identity. In an age of misinformation and disinformation, Class, Race, Gender and Crime is essential reading for understanding the realities of crime and justice in the 2020s—and beyond.” —Charis E. Kubrin, University of California, Irvine

“The authors provide a profound and comprehensive review of the administration of justice. The book is written with homage to history and critical intersectional frameworks. This edition is a significant and necessary update that is sure to become a standard in courses on class, race, gender, and state violence.” —Jason Williams, Montclair State University

“This new edition of Class, Race, Gender and Crime is a much-needed, critical examination of the socio-legal context of what is officially defined as crime and legal system responses. The authors deftly meld theory, research, and intersectional analysis to illuminate the gaps between the ideals and realities of the legal system; engagingly written, the myriad examples of how inequality is both created and perpetuated along class, race, and gender/sexuality intersections will resonate with students. The text will help readers see both the ‘forest’ and the ‘trees’ that comprise the inequalities of society, including the legal system. An exciting updated version of an already excellent teaching resource.” —Diana Grant, Sonoma State University

“Previous versions of the text shaped my students’ perspectives for over 10 years on how social inequalities shape the criminal justice system. The new edition provides critical insights into systemic biases and their impact on justice and society with an opportunity to tackle the deep complexities of diversity.” —Aaron Kinzel, University of Michigan-Dearborn

“In this timely updated edition, the authors continue their conflict analysis of the administration of justice in the United States. As a nation with a vile history of racism, settler colonialism, and heteropatriarchy, the book masterfully dissects how these forms of oppression pervade and sustain the crime control enterprise.” —Michael Mitchell, The College of New Jersey

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 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

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 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

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

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

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