Minority Experience Essay on Intersectionality

Race is defined as a group or section of people in society with similar social or physical qualities, which society uses to classify them as distinct. On the other hand, class refers to a group or section of people in society with the same economic status and occupies a similar position in the socioeconomic system of production(Thomas & Hughes, 1986). In recent times, race has been more important than class in determining one’s life chances since social stratification is based on race, in most cases (Thomas & Hughes, 1986). The extent to which individuals within a certain category of stratification can access such resources and services as education, healthcare, clothing, employment, and shelter is dependent on race. According to Thomas and Hughes (1986) resources, in turn, determine a person’s life chances in the long run. In most cases, whites are considered a superior race to people of color, which makes them considered a lower class and, hence have fewer life chances. In addition, ethnic minorities such as African Americans and Hispanics face considerable disparities in life experiences and outcomes when compared with their white counterparts (Thomas & Hughes, 1986). These disparities significantly adversely affect their life chances.

Race is more important than class in determining one’s life chances. However, in the past two decades, minority groups in the US have experienced substantial changes in their position in the socioeconomic system (Thomas & Hughes, 1986). In recent times, racial segregation has been discouraged, which has made opportunities open up for African Americans. However, although these legal changes have been instituted, African Americans remain a disadvantaged group when compared to whites in the US. Moreover, African Americans are not equal to whites in terms of such key social indicators as education, income, health, and housing (Thomas & Hughes, 1986). For this reason, an African American is more likely to be: in poverty, have a higher mortality rate, be unemployed, be less educated, and live in substandard housing than a white. Thus, the race of an African American adversely affects his or her life chances. According to Thomas and Hughes (1986), there is little upward mobility in African Americans, which has created a black underclass. This phenomenon is a result of the factors mainly associated with the lower-class status of African Americans. Furthermore, less than 65% of people from ethnic minorities, consisting of African Americans, are in formal employment but whites, over 75% are employed (Thomas & Hughes, 1986). Therefore, race is an important factor that determines one’s life chances.

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Intersectionality and the Criminal Justice System

Intersectionality refers to the interconnected way in which the various forms of discrimination intersect or combine to determine the experiences of minority groups, such as people of color. These forms of discrimination may be based on racism, sexism, or classism in which groups of people with a common identity, for instance: race, religion, gender, sexuality, intergroup their differences that exist within those groups (Paik, 2017). For this reason, intersectional identities are responsible for the disparities each experience’s within the social structures. Further, these intergroup differences within social structures are based on the intersectionality of overlapping oppressions. Therefore, people in the same social group may not experience the same form of marginalization because of these sweeping generalizations regarding a certain social structure (Paik, 2017). Regrettably, the presence of other marginalized identities within the group institutions tends to be ignored by social movements, which focus more on the whole group with a commonly shared identity.

There are complex social hierarchies, that can only be viewed through the lens of intersectionality. Intersectionality is a useful concept in understanding the relationship between minority groups and the criminal justice system. According to Paik (2017), the differences in case processing, offending, victimization, and case outcomes are a result of such factors as race, gender, and class. These factors significantly influence the criminal justice system when dealing with these groups of people. For instance, minority groups, such as African Americans, experience disparities in various phases of the judicial process, such as arrest and sentencing (Paik, 2017). For this reason, intersectionality helps to explain the relationship between these minority groups and the criminal justice system. The concept of intersectionality is applied problematically in the criminal justice system, yet it acknowledges the subjective nature of identity. The criminal justice system exhibits the social exclusion of these minority groups in numerous ways. Moreover, racial disparities in minority groups have been deepened by high incarceration rates, which have made these groups more disadvantaged in the hands of the criminal justice system (Paik, 2017). Nonetheless, intersectionality is a useful concept for understanding the relationships between minority groups and the criminal justice system.

Quantitative Research Methodology and Critical Race Theory

Scholars are seen to prefer a quantitative research methodology when studying an individual’s experience due to the reason that such methodology involves the collection of data regarding a large number of individuals from a population. This data is analyzed and provides an overview of the intended target of information such as the rate of crime on African Americans. One’s experience is a collection of events that are gathered by the individual and seen to improve their knowledge and skill thus, influencing future events in their lives. The Critical Race Theory (CRT) displays racial inequalities which is seen to be developed throughout society such as in politics and is intended to diminish and harm the minority race and community. A case that makes CRT useful is the college admission scandal depicted throughout the media today. Such scandal allows white students to feel privileged due to the money and fame provided to them. While students of the minority race may have the same or even more advanced qualifications, such socially driven acceptance of money buying people's way through life has presented that whites are more likely to get accepted into a good school versus someone from the minority race thus displaying racial inequalities driven by society.

References

1. Paik, L. (2017). Critical Perspectives on Intersectionality and Criminology: Introduction.
2. Theoretical Criminology, 21(1), 4–10. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362480616677495
3. Thomas, M. E., & Hughes, M. (1986). The Continuing Significance of Race: A Study of Race,
4. Class, and Quality of Life in America, 1972-1985. American Sociological Review, 51(6), 830. doi: 10.2307/2095370. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.2095370&site=eds-live&scope=site