Exploring the Intersections of Race, Class, Gender, and Crime

This assignment delves into the complex interplay of race, class, and gender within the criminal justice system. It begins by defining and analyzing the impact of stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination, providing examples of how these concepts have evolved and continue to manifest, particularly concerning minority groups. The assignment then explores white-collar crime, defining the 'victim' and 'offender,' and contrasts these with other crime types, also considering the effects on juvenile offenders. Finally, the paper examines the concept of privilege, its intersection with race, class, and gender, and how specific groups have benefited or suffered due to these societal structures, using examples from the provided readings. The student utilizes course materials to support the analysis, demonstrating an understanding of sociological concepts and their practical implications.

Race Class and Gender
Student’s Name
University

1. Terms like stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination in the criminal justice system were
introduced to us through your class readings. Using those and our class analysis what has
changed? Has it? (Make sure to define these terms and provide examples) Be specific.
From the class reading, the meaning of the terms has changed since I have realized that
they are used interchangeably without people noticing the difference between them. Stereotypes
are over-generalized beliefs about a category of people which is normally based on the
expectations that have on a particular group in the society. They can be based on race, gender,
age or sexual orientation and can either be positive or negative. For example, Flavin (2010)
suggests that violent crime in America is associated to the black people due to the rate of
incarceration on the population which is high. This means that with stereotypes, generalized
beliefs are made on people which creates the perception on them. Stereotypes are recycled from
subordinate groups that have been assimilated within the society and then reused to describe
newly formed groups. Prejudice entails the beliefs, feelings, attitudes, and thoughts that people
hold on others based on the prejudgment that is the outside experience. According to Flavin
(2010) prejudice in most cases develops by defining one category of people superior which in
turn makes the superior group to look down upon the inferior group. This is seen in the way class
and economic privilege are developed where the rich seem to enjoy higher status which gives
them positive stereotypes while the poor receive negative stereotypes. Discrimination entails the
actions that people have against a group of people who are regarded as not the same as compared
to others. Discrimination occurs in many contexts in the life of people based on the knowledge
and differences that people have.
The relationship between the three terms in the criminal justice system is the fact that
stereotypes exist based on the elements that are used to describe minority groups within society.
Since stereotypes are recycled and used to describe minority groups, then it means that in the
criminal system, minority groups seem to be the most affected since stereotypes are formed
about them. It the stereotypes that have been formed about the minority groups in the society that
lead to the prejudice attitudes that they receive. In the case, the beliefs, feelings, and attitudes
that people have towards these people can be seen in terms of racial prejudice where black
people have been associated with crime as compared to the white citizens. For example, 37%
blacks are incarcerated in the US since they are associated with violent crimes (Flavin, 2010).
This is because stereotypes associated with the black people revolve around crime, drugs,

violence, and poverty which all define the nature of the society that exists. Once the prejudice
has been formed, racial discrimination arises where people treated in a biased way based on their
skin color or any other. Thus the three terms are integrated since there is a connection between
stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination in the criminal justice system where some groups tend
to be overtly judged as compared to others.
2. Our readings have discussed White Collar Crime. What is it? Make sure to define the
“victim” and “offender” and how they differ from other crimes? What effect do they have
on juvenile offenders?
White crimes entail the criminal activities that people commit in the regular course of
their business like fraud, extortion, bribery, and embezzlements. The motive for these crimes is
the financial gain that the person involved in them receives. The victim of white-collar crime is
the person who is affected by criminal activity. They come in two broad categories, voluntary
victims and involuntary victories. The voluntary victims are groups like those exploited by
swindlers or speculators who promise them fast income while the involuntary victims can be
those who are exploited through commercial transactions that exist with the normal economy or
professional activities (Perri, 2011). The offender is the perpetrator of the crime who seeks to
exploit the victim through voluntary and involuntary means. The relationship between the
offender and the victim is characterized by exploitation and in most cases, it nonviolent,
impersonal, and indirect and in most cases, the victim is always anonymous to the offender. In
most cases, the means used to perform the white-collar crime provides a shield between the
offender and the victim thus creating anonymity by all means (Perri, 2011). The success of
white-collar criminals in society creates narcissism tendencies in juveniles which in turn drives
them into committing these criminals. Since there are so many white-collar criminals who have
never been prosecuted and some of them are leaving flashy lifestyles, these people can change
the impression that the juveniles have which can drive them into committing the crime.
3. Define privilege and its intersection with race, class, and gender. Are there individuals
and/or groups who have benefited from that privilege, and how? Vice versa what groups
have suffered because of it?
Privilege is the special attention or advantage that people have over others, through the
creation of situations that make them appear better as compared to others. In society, privilege
comes in many forms which creates an advantage to people against others. When related to race,

privilege is seen in the domination of one race against the other which is used to subdue the
racial profiles that are less privileged in the society (Flavin, 2010). Race is the definition of
people based on their skin color while gender is the definition of people based on their sexual
orientation For example, in the past when racial discrimination was high in the US, the while
race was privileged through better schools, better jobs, and even better neighborhoods as
compared to the blacks. Class is based on the division of the society based on status where those
with the same status are placed in the same continuum (Flavin, 2014). Since class is related to
social status, then it means that those who are privileged live in the upper class defined by access
to different life opportunities. Flavin (2014) adds that gender is related to the roles, behaviors,
opportunities and attributes that the society considers appropriate fort either boys or girls. This
means that there are different conditions that men will thrive and those that women will thrive. In
this context, privilege arises through the advantages that each gender brings to the individual. For
example, hospitality jobs have been suited for women more than men and thus in most cases,
women will be privileged in such job sectors as compared to men since the nature of the job
relates to the reproductive role played by women. Thus the intersection that privilege has with
class, gender and race is the creation of special circumstances that allow people who belong to
certain groups to thrive better than others.

Works Cited
Flavin, J. (2010). Chapter 3: Understanding class and economic priviledge. In Class, Race,
Gender, and Crime : The Social Realities of Justice in America (Vol. 6, pp. 69-91).
Maryland.
PERRI, F. S. (2011). White‐Collar Criminals: The ‘Kinder, Gentler’ Offender? Journal of
Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling, 8, 217-241.