Racial Profiling of as another Form Institutional Prejudice and Discrimination - Essay Example

How racial profiling fits into the field of sociology Given the meaning of sociology as a study of human social relationship as well as their institutions, racial profiling can best suit in this field. The field of Sociology is wide, ranging from religion to crime, from racial divisions and social class, from the family to the state, and from social harmony to radical change in the full societies. Racial profiling can thus fit here because it concerns with the matters of racial divisions and social harmony.

The discrimination experienced in this social issue is founded on crime statistics, illustrating a unpleasant overrepresentation of minor groups to be doing most crimes. Racial profiling opposes the role of law enforcement, and start hatred and fear of law enforcement among the minorities, thus disturbing social stability (Massey, 2001). Sociological theories and terminologies from the text that apply to racial profiling Conflict theory The Racial profiling issue of sociology can be related to the conflict theory, whose basic idea is that society comprises of different people with different needs.

The conflict theory says that some groups such as the police want to control the society when defining values, goals, and norms of society. Powerful people like the police and the whites control the right to form norms and to define what makes up criminal and unusual behaviour in societies with mixed races. Racial profiling relates to this theory in that, In the U.S particularly, the leading associations include mainly of white men who are still the majority in government offices and hence law officials who may sometimes use their powers to discriminate blacks when enforcing laws.

Labelling theory Its basic idea is that those people who are at first considered as going against the society rules may continue behaving badly as a result of the person adjusting to changes in his or her self thought. A very important principle of labelling theory is the decision on which individuals are most likely to be labelled. According to theorists, the label may possibly be applied to some social groups at the expense of others, such as on blacks. In the same way as those in power are capable of defining what is or what is unusual, they also are capable of defining what social group is most exposed for labelling.

Theorists argue that the groups most exposed to labelling are those having certain basic qualities that the groups with power view as the most suitable targets for labelling (Akers, 1994). Racial profiling can therefore be as a result of labelling among the police officers and the public. What is known and unknown about racial profiling The unequal treatment of minorities according to their race by the police is not a new idea at all. However, what is unknown is whether racial profiling is being used as a legal tool of law enforcement.

Some people wonder if race is, or is not an issue in police judgment, while others argue that race is an issue that is right for use in profiling. Of most importance is the lack of knowledge on whether differences exists in treatment by race, as well as if this is regular with the believed purposes of using racial matters in criminal profiles. Maybe this is unknown to only a few, because racial profiling does exist in the U.S. Nevertheless, most people know very well