American Indian homicide: A multimethod, multilevel analysis

This study investigates the etiology of American Indian homicide. Its triangulated methodology combined both the quantitative multivariate analyses with indepth interview data from American Indian male homicide offenders. At the national level, a descriptive analysis was performed that compared American Indian, black, and white disaggregated homicide rates. Although black homicide rates are far greater than either American Indian or white rates, American Indian rates are more than double that of the white population. American Indian homicide is more likely to involve knives while both black and white homicide is more likely to involve handguns. However, when handgun and other gun categories are added together, they account for over 40 percent of all homicides regardless of race/ethnicity. Homicide victims are more likely to be acquaintances involved in conflict situations with the offender in all racial/ethnic groups. And although homicide is a predominantly male phenomenon for all groups, both black and American Indian populations have a significantly higher percentage of female perpetrated homicides than the white population. Multiple regression models estimated American Indian homicide at both the state and SMSA levels. Economic deprivation theory was supported at the reservation state level while a subculture of violence theory was supported at the SMSA level. The qualitative analysis of interview data not only supported the same causal forces of economic deprivation and a subculture of violence, but also illuminated other contributing factors as well. Sources of social disorganization culture conflict and alcohol/drug use were also found to play an important role in these offender\u27s lives. This data provided tremendous insight into the nature and extent of the psychological pain that manifests as a result of these structural and cultural conditions. A theoretical model of American Indian Homicide was formulated from the results of both quantitative and qualitative analyses. It includes elements of economic deprivation, a subculture of violence, social disorganization, and culture conflict and perceived powerlessness, with alcohol/drug abuse placed in the model as an intervening variable

Review of \u3ci\u3e Indians in Prison: Incarcerated Native Americans in Nebraska\u3c/i\u3e by Elizabeth S. Grobsmith

Elizabeth S. Grobsmith provides an intimate glance into the relationship between the bureaucracy of the Nebraska correctional system and American Indian prisoners within the system. Prefaced by an important historical context, the insightful narratives which comprise the bulk of this work offer a detailed examination of the day-to-day struggles encountered by Indian inmates trying to survive in an environment which is, all too often, not cognizant of their needs. In general, this book is a valuable contribution to the literature investigating the relationship between contemporary American Indians and the criminal justice system. One aspect that I found troubling, however, was the fact that Grobsmith did not succeed in grounding this work with contemporary studies which have investigated related issues. The incorporation of this literature would have provided an interpretational aid to the present work. For example, even though almost all research has noted the important role alcohol/drug use plays in a number of social problems present in the lives of American Indians, other authors have also underscored its role as intervening-not necessarily antecedent. While Grobsmith noted that alcoholism was related to other social factors such as economic deprivation, her discussion of this interrelationship was more perfunctory than I would have liked. I believe the causes and contributors to American Indian criminality are complex and multifaceted and begin with the internal colonialism and cultural genocide which began nearly two centuries ago and continue today. Economic deprivation, social disorganization (e.g. broken families and residential mobility), culture conflict and perceived powerlessness also contribute to the propensity for Indian youth to engage in escapist behaviors like alcohol and drug use. This use, not only increases the likelihood of deviant and criminal activity but it also serves to exacerbate the other conditions. In reality, then, each of these factors may act alone or in combination with one another to increase the risk of criminality in Indian populations

The practice of research in criminology and criminal justice

Buku ini memberikan informasi mengenai pentingnya pemahaman tentang riset dalam konteks kriminologi dan pengadilan tindak kriminal, yang dikemas secara mendalam berdasarkan studi kasus dan penerapan variasi metode di lapangan. Penulis menguraikan konten buku ke dalam lima tema besar disertai sejumlah bab pada setiap tema untuk menampilkan konsep, studi kasus dan implementasi dari pendekatan penelitian yang dipilih. Adapun uraian dari tema dan bab tersebut, Tema 1 membahas Dasar-dasar penelitian dalam ilmu sosial yang dikaji melalui BAB 1: Konsep dasar ilmu, sosial, dan penelitian berkaitan dengan tindakan kriminal, kriminologi, dan pengawasan sosial; BAB II: Proses dan permasalahan dalam penelitian tindakan kriminal dan kriminologi; BAB III: Pedoman dan etika penelitian, Tema 2 membahas Dasar-dasar penelitian kriminologi dikaji melalui BAB IV: Konsep dan pengukuran penelitian; BAB V: Teknik penentuan sampel; BAB VI: Dasar petimbangan dan pemilihan desain penelitian, Tema 3 membahas detail desain penelitian yang dikaji melalui BAB VII: Desain penelitian eksperimen; BAB VIII: Penelitian survei; BAB IX: Pendekatan kualitatif dengan teknik observasi, partisipasi dan dengar-pendapat, Tema 4 membahas desain penelitian berbasis topik (topical research designs) yang dikaji melalui BAB X: teknik analisis konten dengan memanfaatkan sumber sekunder, sumber historis, perbandingan data dan studi teks; BAB XI: Analisis jejaring sosial, pemetaan kasus kriminal dan tren big data; BAB XII: Evaluasi dan analisis kebijakan; BAB XIII: Metode penggabungan dan perbandingan, Tema 5 membahas Kegiatan pasca pengumpulan data dikaji melalui BAB XIV: Analisis data kuantitatif; BAB XV: Analisis data kualitatif dan BAB XVI: Penarikan kesimpulan dan pembuatan laporan penelitian