Culture: An Alternative Variable to Race in Criminology

Abstract

The author discusses the need for forking racial categories into culturally-based sub-categories for research. The author argues culturally-based descriptive characteristics are more robust to use not only within tribal communities but possibly within other communities to better understand criminogenic community profiles.  Culturally-based behavioral characteristics might lead to better predictive capabilities for such areas as terrorist activities, victimization profiling, and other areas.  Theoretical developments are facilitated when alternative measures to broad racial categories are proffered, such as the notion of cultural efficacy.  Cultural efficacy is the idea that internalized cultural values work in conjunction with cultural identity to (1) restrain an individual from deviant behavior while (2) motivating one to respond to cultural or social deviance.  Ideas for research are provided.