Race/Ethnicity, Crime, and Criminal Justice: Diverse Research and Participation in the Academy

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RACE/ETHNICITY, CRIME, AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE:DIVERSE RESEARCH AND PARTICIPATION IN THE ACADEMYABSTRACTIntellectual Merit. This project builds on the successful collaboration of a group of scholars fromdiverse backgrounds (African American, Latino, White, etc.), disciplines (Criminology orCriminal Justice, Family Relations, Law, Public Policy, Political Science, Social Work, andSociology), and stages of career (assistant-, associate-, and full-professors, and graduate students)whose work is oriented to improving the quality of research on the interlinkages amongrace/ethnicity, crime, and criminal justice, and on broadening perspectives and participation inresearch on this topic. These scholars recently published a book, The Many Colors of Crime, inwhich they lay out a critical new research agenda (see Peterson, Krivo and Hagan 2006). Thefirst goal of this project is to undertake the kinds of studies called for in the volume, and thereby,begin to provide a deeper, and more nuanced, understanding of the interrelationships amongrace/ethnicity, crime, and criminal justice than heretofore available. The second goal of thisproject is to advance the research and professional development of young scholars fromunderrepresented groups for carrying out innovative research on crime and justice by establishingan annual Summer Research Institute as a follow up to a 2006 pilot institute. The overarchingpurpose of the institute is to support the advancement of ethnoracial minorities engaged in thestudy of crime and justice in order to further democratic inclusion in academe, and advanceknowledge in this area by supporting the potentially diverse perspectives these scholars can offer.Approaches to Achieving Project Goals. To facilitate achieving the project objectives, the PIswill undertake a series of workshops that bring group members together, and hold a summerresearch and professional development institute for young scholars from underrepresentedgroups. The workshops will be both idea- and product-oriented and serve as the mechanism forplanning and making progress on collaborative projects. The summer research institute will takeplace in a "safe" and resource-rich environment and be structured to provide the support, training,and mentorship needed by young faculty for completing a research project for journal publicationor grant proposal. The institute will culminate with participants presenting their work at theRDCJ-N workshop where they will gain feedback and develop networks with other senior andjunior scholars in the field.Broader Impacts. This project is structured to have two important broader impacts on scholarshipand the academy. First, it will draw on the expertise of scholars who are diverse along a numberof dimensions (e.g., race and ethnicity, disciplinary training, and stage of career) to develop andcarry out significant innovative crime and justice research. This work will have as its centralpremise the need to take into account the complexity of race/ethnicity and embed analyses in thedifferential positioning of groups in society. Through collaborative, multi-method, andcomparative studies, the researchers will produce a body of original multidisciplinary work thatemphasizes the variable significance of race for crime/criminal justice, and how racializationrelates to the understanding of citizenship and democracy, nationally and around the world.Second, the project will broaden participation in crime and justice research by fostering thecareers of scholars from underrepresented groups. Together the workshops and summer researchinstitute will have a general impact in bringing diversity in perspectives and participation toresearch and curricula on crime and criminal justice.