Introduction
Clashes between law enforcement and people of different racial identity or ethnic groups are common occurrences in most multi-racial countries. Apparently, these conflicts imply that there is certain sensitivity when it comes to perception of ethnic groups towards police officers of different ethnic origin. Instinctively, when two diverse ethnic groups come in contact under law enforcement, the issue of racial discrimination is almost automatic. One particular example is the case of OJ Simpson, whose trial was made more controversial because of the discriminatory remark of one of his arresting officer, Mark Fuhrman . Fuhrman, the LAPD officer who investigated the crime scene and a witness for the prosecution, made racial ratings that were recorded on tape. And though Fuhrman’s racial discriminatory remarks have no bearing to the guilt of the accused, it became an indispensable tool for the defense to sway the jury by pleading to their emotions. As a result, despite the mounting evidence, the jury acquitted OJ Simpson of the murder charges. OJ Simpson’s case is not an isolated scenario in the U.S. In fact most cases regarding discrimination are unfavorable towards Blacks and other racial minorities. Just recently, a Black 12 year-old boy was killed by a gunshot wherein one Hispanic and eight White police officers are held responsible. Accordingly, the boy was indiscriminately fired upon by the Cleveland police officers while carrying a replica handgun at a park. The question is, will they do the same if the boy was White instead of Black? For the same reason, incidents such as the one that happened in Cleveland raises concerns whether there is indeed a racial discrimination between the majority of White police officers towards ethnic minorities or the racial issue is just a matter of perception.
Ethnic Perception towards Authority
Tyler and Huo conducted a telephone survey to determine how most ethnic groups perceive law enforcement and these are their major findings:
- African-Americans and Latinos are less satisfied with law enforcement authorities as compared to Whites.
- Ethnic minorities are less likely than whites to cooperate with authority when confronted.
- Most ethnic minorities believe that they are unfairly treated by authorities in their encounters. They believe that some procedures are unfair towards them.
- All groups have a common perception of what is fair and what is unfair. Accordingly, “An authority is perceived to have acted fairly if he or she is judged to be unbiased, concerned about the needs of the individual, and respectful of the individual”.
Central to Tyler and Huo’s finding is the fact that most ethnic minorities have experienced negative interaction from authorities of different ethnic group. However, it is quite interesting to note that both minority and majority groups have a common perception of what is fair, which means that the criteria of what is fair and what is not does not vary among groups. The result of this survey led Tyler and Huo to conclude that efforts from authorities to act more fairly will lead to “more positive reactions and higher rates of compliance”
Theories behind Ethnic Perception
According to studies, ethnic minorities are “more likely than whites to express dissatisfaction with various aspects of policing”, which, according to experts, can be explained through Group-position theory. The Group-position theory suggests that the conflict between ethnic groups and white law enforcers is not just a result of negative feelings as reinforced by stereotyping but rather an indication of a struggle for control, power and status within a multi-racial society. When viewed in this perspective, it can be deduced that racial conflicts could not be avoided because of the underlying behavioral tendency of each group to overcome each other. In the group position model, conflict occurs because whites are afraid that they would risk losing their resources, privileges and status quo to competing racial groups. On the other hand, minority members believe that “their group interests will be enhanced by challenging the existing racial order”. Another compelling factor that influences the ethnic perception towards authority is through the notion of fair treatment. Studies have shown that most African-Americans and Latinos that have negative perception towards policing is because they have been treated unfairly by white police officers in the past. Apparently, the personal experiences of an individual in a face-to-face interaction with authorities can greatly shape their perception on policing.
Conclusion
It is quite clear that ethnic perception on authorities is negative in general. Most of these negative perceptions are based on first-hand experience, stereotyping or the group-position model where different ethnic groups are perceived to be in unconscious competition with each other. Apparently, in a multi-racial environment such as the U.S., racial clashes are difficult to avoid. However, knowing that regardless of ethnic origin, the notion of fairness is common to all provide a glimpse of hope towards cooperation of ethnic groups towards authorities. While the ethnic negative perception towards authorities is difficult to erase, it can be mitigated by treating all persons regardless of race with fairness and respect.
References
Holpuch, A. (2014, December). White police officers involved in black couple's death sue Cleveland for racial discrimination. Retrieved December 2014, from http://www.theguardian.com/: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/dec/01/cleveland-police-unarmed-black-pair-lawsuit
Huo, Y., & Tyler, T. (2000). How Different Ethnic Groups React to Legal Authority. Retrieved December 2014, from http://www.ppic.org/: http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/report/R_500YHR.pdf
Linder, D. (2000). The Trial of Orenthal James Simpson . Retrieved August 2014, from http://law2.umkc.edu/: http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/Simpson/Simpsonaccount.htm
Weitzer, R., & Tuch, S. (2004). Race and Perceptions of Police Misconduct. Retrieved December 2014, from http://web.missouri.edu/: http://web.missouri.edu/~jlfm89/Race%20Perceptions%20of%20Police%20Misconduct.pdf
