Culture: An Alternative Variable to Race in Criminology
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This article discuss the need for forking racial categories into culturally-based sub-categories for research. The Abril 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
Author: Julie C Abril PhD
Institution: Colorado State University
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4408979718