Homicide
Introduction
Homicide is my point of interest when thinking about life in society. Manslaughter is defined as the ability of one man killing the other man. Homicide can be either illegal or lawful. For example, soldiers who are deployed to counter-terrorism will kill people the terrorists legally. Therefore, choosing black on black homicide and violence is my topic of interest (Greenwood & Wattal, 2015, pp. 15-54). After gaining knowledge about the difference that has been between the blacks and the whites, knowing why the blacks kill their fellow blacks is more interesting. Besides, black males are exposed to homicides more than black women.
Background / research topic
Homicide is a recurring issue—various places where blacks live practice black on black murder. The leading cause of the killings is the need to revenge. Some blacks feel superior when compared to the others in the society. Instead of facing the whites who colonized them, they face their inferior black members to satisfy their superiority. Homicide is a significant issue for many blacks amongst the American states (Pratt-Harris et al., 2016, pp. 377-389). The only way to curb the deconstructive condition is through performing research and giving the exact action that would either eradicate or reduce the problem. Homicide is not a subject matter to be happy about. Thus, appropriate measures must be taken against it accordingly.
Structural functionalist approach
The fundamental functionalism approach focuses on the positive side of the subject matter: homicide. There are many theories related to the fundamental functionalism approach, but decisions were made on general-purpose.
Latzer, B. (2018). Subcultures of violence and African American crime rates. Journal of Criminal Justice, 54, pp.41-49.
Strain theory was applied to check how people could survive in the devastating predicament (Latzer, 2018, p. 41). The hypothesis in the research is that “overt (and often illicit) expression of violence (of which homicide is the most extreme) is part of a normative subcultural system, and that this system is reflected in the psychological traits of the subculture (Latzer, 2018, p. 42). The population studied was manageable, around 200,000 people, from a particular region. Sampling was used in analyzing the community for accuracy. The research findings show that people adjust to the situation in various ways, such as conformity and rebellion. Despite the poor condition, people, from children to the aged, had a way of surviving.
Greenwood, B. N., & Wattal, S. (2015). Show me the way to go home: An empirical investigation of ride-sharing and alcohol-related motor vehicle homicide—Fox School of Business Research Paper, (15-054).
The theory applied in the study is the structural-functionalist approach. The hypothesis tested is that “Implementation of the Uber Black car service is associated with a negative and significant decrease in the rate of alcohol-related motor vehicle homicides” (Greenwood & Wattal, 2015, P. 8). The research methods used in the study was secondary data analysis. Data were obtained from various sources within the California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Report System (SWITRS). The dataset provides rich information not only on the number of crashes in the region but also on the alcohol content of all the victims involved in the crash. The research findings show that the incidence rate of alcohol-related motor vehicle homicide reduced significantly following the introduction of Uber taxi services. The findings confirm that homicide is a rational choice on the part of consumers (Greenwood & Wattal, 2015, P. 20).
Conflict theory approach
Stolzenberg, L., Eitle, D. and D’Alessio, S. (2006). Race, economic inequality, and violent crime. Journal of Criminal Justice, 34(3), pp.303-316.
Research on conflict theories was on the reverse relationship between homicides and the economic condition. How people cope in the crime society is the main point of interest in the study. The population used in the study was 200,000 people who settled in the region. The hypothesis in the study is that “increase in racial inequality was associated with a reduction in interracial crime (Stolzenberg, Eitle, & D’ Alessio, 2006, p.305. The survey was the best method in handling the conflict theory approach because the researchers penetrated the area in search of the required information. The findings in the study was positive, as had been predicted. In the homicide condition, everyone cares about their lives (Stolzenberg, Eitle, & D’ Alessio, 2006, p.308). When a character reaches the adult age, according to the government’s age definition, they are prone to danger and have to risk to earn. The economy of the region is unstable due to the black market.
Felson, R. & Painter-Davis, N. (2012). Another cost of being a young black male: Race, weaponry, and lethal outcomes in assaults. Social Science Research, 41(5), pp.1224-1253.
The study examined the effect of age, race and gender on an offender’s likelihood of using weapons during an altercation and applied the Conflict theory in the study. The population was reduced to simplify coding of offenders. The research methods used in the study was secondary data analysis. The authors analyzed recorded results from the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) distributed over a period of three years. The hypothesis in the study is “communities where the consequences of violence are severe; adversaries are more likely to have the philosophy of “kill or be killed” (Felson & Painter-Davis, 2012, p. 1226). The study findings show that any violence incidences between two black men are likely to involve the use of weapons compared to when the violence incidence is between two whites (Felson & Painter-Davis, 2012, p. 1225).
Symbolic interaction
Martin, A., Wright, E. and Steiner, B. (2016). Formal controls, neighbourhood disadvantage, and violent crime in U.S. cities: Examining (un)intended consequences. Journal of criminal justice, 44, pp.58-65.
The research was done on how people interacted with one another in society. The same population under study was 200,000, from a particular region. The participation observation was the method used in the symbolic interaction theory (Martin, Wright, & Steiner, 2016, p. 58). The findings from the study show that interaction under symbolic interaction amongst people was negative. The study also found that homicides contribute to hatred and isolation amongst the affected individuals. In addition, people grow stubbornness as part of their virtue. It was also discovered that formal control, such as jail risks reduces crimes across the divide. However, controls such as police arrest amplify the relations between extreme neighbourhood disadvantages and violence.
Pratt-Harris, N. C., Sinclair, M. M., Bragg, C. B., Williams, N. R., Ture, K. N., Smith, B. D., … & Brown, L. (2016). Police-involved homicide of unarmed Black males: Observations by Black scholars in the midst of the April 2015 Baltimore uprising. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 26(3-4), 377-389.
The theory applied in the study is symbolic interaction, while the research method used was participation observation. The study finds that homicide among black victims is a social problem and recognizes victimization, particularly among students and children. Additionally, the study finds that people have biased perception towards law enforcement, particularly in regards to police brutality. The observation confirms police-involved homicide of unarmed male blacks.
Conclusion
Black on black homicide is a recurring issue amongst the blacks in the American states. The law should improve their verdicts on people found to commit suicide. The structural-functionalist, conflict theory, and symbolic interaction give the best definition of homicide and solutions to the problem.