ORG 6499 Week 6 Final Paper

Running head: PERSONAL POSITION ON POLICE BRUTALITY 2

PERSONAL POSITION ON POLICE BRUTALITY 12

Personal Position on Police Brutality

University of Arizona Global Campus

ORG 6499 Cultural Diversity & Individual Differences

Instructor: Cara Metz

May 3, 2021

Personal Position on Police Brutality

Introduction

Diversity situations and cultural dilemmas are continually experienced in the United States, with half of the US population being African-Americans. Most immigrants migrate to the US in search of job opportunities and good life. As a result, they fail to abide by the cultures, values, and beliefs of Americans. Immigrants who fail to assimilate lack the opportunities and advantages that the ones who assimilate have. As a result, they end up in low socioeconomic backgrounds as they also become vulnerable to police brutality, systemic racism, and others rape. Comment by Microsoft Office User: “a good”

Police brutality has remained a constant language over the years despite the stringent dynamic laws that have been put in place. Police engage in more practical and hard work to enforce law and order and are allowed to use force when situations call for, but that is not the current case. Most police officers have been recognized to have a different perspective on the powers to use guns on specific races. Many criticisms have been leveled against the police on their choices to use extra force on various civilians, unlike others which continue to raise alarms in American setups. Comment by Microsoft Office User: Make sure to visit Grammarly to assist you with your phrasing. One issue found throughout this assignment is your phrasing. At times it’s difficult to understand what you are saying due to choice of words/phrasing.

Police brutality is not a new song anymore in America since it has become a global menace that the world has to deal with. Police brutality does not choose any race even though it is enormously experienced in African-American and Latino-American societies. It is not a new case since the historical setup when the people of color could face harsh treatment and segregation due to their position in the society. Police brutality has become a significant topic that has attracted many societies and advocacy groups to understand its rapid growth in low-socioeconomic backgrounds. Comment by Microsoft Office User: Be sure to rephrase this sentence to be more clear with what you are trying to say. Comment by Microsoft Office User: Great job on your thesis. Be sure to be as specific as possible with your thesis statement. You should be specific as to the exact subtopics you will be covering.

Describe The Diversity Situation or Cultural Dilemma and Your Interest in This Topic.

The Marginalized groups like African-America and Latino America, according to Bonilla-Silva (2015), experience many inhuman activities that cause extreme tortures and life-threatening situations to their lives and that of their families. They reciprocate by demanding their rights leading to illegal immigration, police brutality, and systemic racism. The three topics are my interest since they have some commonality to what the marginalized groups experience. The minority groups experience oppression through police brutality, systemic racism in structural aspects, and illegal immigration bias. Since the minority group cannot wholly assimilate into American culture, they create a cultural gap leading to cultural dilemmas. They also experience diversity in workplaces, age, and social structures. The people of color lack opportunities in every systemic benefit due to the host country's harsh treatment. Comment by Microsoft Office User: Try to avoid starting your paragraph with an outside source. Use a topic sentence using your own words that illustrates the main subtopic of the paragraph. Comment by Microsoft Office User: try to be more clear with what you mean here

Describe The Cultural Groups Impacted by This Topic

The minority groups involved in a diverse situation, according to Bonilla-Silva (2015), are the African-Americans and Latino Americans. They are the cultural groups in America that experience diverse situations and cultural dilemmas such as illegal immigration, police brutality, and systemic racism. The people of color experience stigmatization due to excess oppression, discrimination, and self-excluded from the mainstream of American Culture. The social practices deter African-American and Latino Americans from engaging in helpful activities, creating a gap between Americans and people of color. As a result, the immigrants engage in criminal activities to fend for their well-being and end up in police hands. Comment by Microsoft Office User: try to provide more analysis here. You want to use a combination of outside sources with your own analysis.

What Are Some of the Societal and Historical Forces Which Might Have Created This Situation or Dilemma?

Roberson et al. (2017) studies describe that when settlers arrived in the Western Hemisphere in the early times, they barely recognized indigenous native Americans' rights. The westerners fought native tribes, fought to convert them to Christianity, and turned them into slaves for the American colonies. Most indigenous native American population succumbed to emerging diseases, and battles making the European Americans be the dominant population. Bonilla-Silva (2015) further describes that the fight for freedom for civil rights, the right to life, equal treatment, globalization, and the struggle for system change directed black Americans to experience police brutality and systemic racism. The African American and Latino Americans were forced into labor and brutal treatment as they become the least prosperous and unstable group in European nations. Their rights to education for civilization were taken away by oppression and discrimination, making them vulnerable to colonizers' brutal treatment. Comment by Microsoft Office User: Be sure to visit Grammarly for assistance with grammatical errors. It’s free and online =) You can also visit the link below: https://writingcenter.ashford.edu/ Comment by Microsoft Office User: , try incorporating the following strategy: start with a topic sentence. Follow this up with a statement that deals with the topic of the paragraph. Find an outside sources to back it up with. You would then follow it up with a statement connecting the two statements. You would then repeat the process to formulate a well written/argued body paragraph.

The dilemmas created foresaw Black-Americans relocating to reservations during history with the emergence of many untreated diseases and starvations. The European colonizers considered black Americans unskilled humans who did not deserve better lives but could only benefit from slavery. Therefore, this created a cultural gap and widened the systemic racism in European nations. The indigenous native Americans reciprocated by fighting back by developing various movements that changed different political situations. The fight for land, education, equality, and living in suburban areas created the cultural dilemmas and diversity situations that African-American and Latino Americans face now.

Provide One Argument from Each Perspective Regarding the Topic.

Illegal Immigration

Most African-Americans and Latino Americans illegally migrate from their country of origin while violating the laws to settle in European countries. Since most of them originate from developing countries, immigrants migrate in search of opportunities and better life. Illegal immigration poses a threat to individuals that continues to create a gap and cultural dilemmas. The Black-Americans who have illegally migrated to host countries, according to Burkett & Hayes (2018), live in fear of being deported as president trump immigration laws dictated. As a result, they form alliances with illegal groups for identification as they maneuver their lives through European countries. When President Trump entered office, he enacted laws on immigration and customs enforcement that deterred Immigrants from migrating to America. Comment by Microsoft Office User: Be sure to proof read for minor grammatical errors such as unnecessary capitalization.

Police Brutality

Due to racism, oppressions, discriminations, and hatred that the Black-Americans experience in host countries, the police, in return, uses force to physically, emotionally, and psychologically torture the people of color. Research studies from Lyle & Esmail (2016) indicate that most Black-Americans are the victims of shootings in America that create different movements to safeguard indigenous lives. Comment by Microsoft Office User: Try to expand more here. You do a great job of introducing this subtopic, but it could use more analysis.

Systemic Racism

Systemic racism involves discrimination in search for institutional services like healthcare, social benefits, and workplaces. According to Bonilla-Silva (2015), most Black-Americans experience systemic racism in healthcare settings and workplaces. Women and children from marginalized groups succumb to chronic illnesses, pregnancy-related complications, and HIV/Aids complications due to lack of inequality in healthcare services. The Black-Americans, in return, fail to seek medical help due to the brutal treatment they receive in search of better care. Additionally, Black-Americans also receive low wages in the workplace setup. They occupy unskilled occupations that do not require professionalism to acquire, leading to low wages that cannot settle their needs. Comment by Microsoft Office User: be sure to provide more of an analysis on the issue you outline in the topic sentence before moving on to another subtopic.

Describe The Diversity Situation or Cultural Dilemma and The Cultural Groups Impacted by This Topic.

According to Lyle & Esmail (2016), police violence towards racial and ethnic minorities has been rising, creating attention internationally. The author further indicates that police brutality is every day in African American and Latino American cultures, which have cited racial tensions, wide-scale protests and led to maximum media coverage (Lyle & Esmail, 2016). In the United States, most people of color experience low levels of force to high-level use of intimidation and additional threats in their day-to-day interactions with the police. Studies from Sekhon (2019) indicate that people of color are likely to die at the hands of police, whether justified or not. Most police officers tend to make shooting biases and mistakes on people of color by misidentifying their roles in societies (Sekhon 2019). Also, Civile & Obhi (2017) show that most people of color have a standard dressing code like hoodies making the police mistake their identities and conduct unjustified shootings (Civile, C., & Obhi, S., 2017). Comment by Microsoft Office User: Try to avoid using back to back outside sources. There should be some analysis in between. Comment by Microsoft Office User: Instead of ending with an outside source, try to end the paragraph with a transition statement leading the reader into the next subtopic. Ending with an outside source would imply there is more to analyze with this subtopic.

Explain the Types of Power or Privilege Each Group Possesses. In What Ways Are Members of Each Group Aware (Or Not Aware) Of Their Power or Privilege?

Mendoza & Parks-Stamm (2020) indicate "that people of color have a social identity that allows them to have a sense of belonging. Since most American citizens believe that people of color are from low socioeconomic backgrounds with low income, their privileges like decent education and health are mostly taken away" (Mendoza & Parks-Stamm, 2020). However, their identity has been affected by how American society views them, making them lose the power and privilege to move across the world. African-Americans, in many ways, are not aware of their privileges due to fear of discrimination and past experiences. Their rights to social benefits, quality healthcare services, quality educations, right to a decent income, and promotions are mostly denied to them. They fail to report since the system may be influenced by racial discrimination making their pleas fall into an unjust justice system. The people of color also have the power to create changes in how social setups view them. They have the potential to influence the system to change their unjust ways while handling them. For instance, through the power of the black lives matter movement, the racial discrimination posed on African-Americans has taken a considerable toll.

Therefore, the police can influence the public to engage in reasonable practices. In their quest to provide law and order, they can also advocate for human rights and shun using force on African-Americans. The police can promote social justice by delivering equal services, equity, and respect to all social groups by assuring them of the need to have their civil rights. The social identity of African-Americans determines how they become treated by the police. Therefore, the police can use social justice to create health benefits, quality education, and justice system reforms. Comment by Microsoft Office User: there are areas of your paper in which you could use more analysis by integrating more outside sources or simply providing more statements to expand the body paragraph.

Discuss The Types of Prejudice or Discrimination Applied to Each Group. Is The Discrimination or Prejudice Overt or Covert?

Lyle & Esmail (2016) indicate that police brutality is associated with interpersonal discrimination on the social identity of people of color. The types of discrimination involve race, color, and gender, which widen the gap between whites and blacks. Racial discrimination in social setups has enhanced police actions and influenced their practices to shoot on people of color without thinking of their actions. Most police officers also shoot on blacks due to their skin colors. In the historical context, the blacks were considered weak and poor and could only be used as slaves, which influenced how the American culture is shaped. Additionally, gender discrimination is also rising as most people discriminate against women and children of color. Women and children are treated unequally in their quest to seek healthcare services and justice in case of any cause of alarm.

How Do These (Prejudice, Discrimination, Power or Privilege) Impact Each Group's Access to Goods, Services, Positions of Power, Education, Or Other Societal Structures?

According to Lyle & Esmail (2016), racial discrimination affects African-Americans in power positions. The most decent position is offered to white races, while weak and low positions are provided to people of color. In places that tolerate racial discrimination, they believe people of color have low education, low working experience, and are not fit for higher positions, thus discriminating against them. Women are also discriminated against in societal structures and their abilities to access goods. They receive unequal treatment while seeking health services, as many women with chronic disease are left unattended and pregnant women offered little attention while seeking treatment (Lyle & Esmail, 2016).

Children are also discriminated against in education sectors with manipulations and blackmail from teachers and students, creating gaps in whites and black children's performances.

Analysis of Police Brutality

In historical contexts, police brutality is a double standard measure in the way police are treated due to violent activities against blacks. It is logical to think that most individuals, whether in authority or not, will undergo a fair justice system, but that is not the case with the blacks. Most victims are blamed for their deaths as police officers become excused, believing that victims often trigger police actions. Lyle & Esmail (2016) indicate that police view blacks as potential perpetrators, which require brutality reinforcements. In general, black males are considered aggressive and with criminal nature; therefore, the police view them as a threat to the community and use disproportionate force. Additionally, the distinctive features of black men make them be regarded as criminals by the police.

According to Lyle & Esmail (2016), police brutality is not a current matter but a historical event experienced when settlers arrived in Western Hemisphere during the early times. Most of these settlers did not recognize the black's civil rights as they forced them into slavery and harsh treatment. Due to discrimination, the blacks were not given decent education, healthcare services, and rights to property. They experienced massive deaths due to emerging and infectious diseases. They were also incapable of speaking fluent English due to lack of education as English and education were considered a white man's language. That did not deter blacks from fighting when they got the chance to so. As a result, they faced brutal treatment due to their aggressive fights that activated police officers to treat them with indifference to protect themselves and the community.

Police legality has undergone constant challenges following the incidence of antiauthoritarian attitudes that have made American citizens place their values on individual liberty. As a result, police have been forced to maintain authority and legitimacy by exerting force on citizens. Police disproportionate use of force on people of color, according to Lyle & Esmail (2016), ranges from low to high nonlethal strength. People of color in the United States are at a greater chance of experiencing high and low threats while interacting with the police. Research indicates that people of color, both young and old have higher chances of dying in police custody due to their aggressive treatment while in police custody. According to Sekhon (2019), between 2015-2016, 30% of unarmed racial and ethnic minorities have been killed under unclear circumstances through law enforcement. The prevalence of ethnic and racial minority killings describes disparity patterns in police violence that have been perceived to be extreme and unjustified.

Biases, attitudes, cultural norms and stereotyping on Police Brutality

Mendoza & Parks-Stamm (2020) describe the contextual factors that contribute to the disparity in police brutality against people of color. From a contextual view, it is evident that police engaging in shooting activities are racially biased on racial and ethnic minorities. Shooter bias is a standard shooting pattern on racial and ethnic minorities. Research from Lyle Perry & Esmail Ashraf (2016) indicates that shooting mistakes have become consistent with black stereotypes. The shooter bias is characterized by the American cultural beliefs and norms on blacks' aggressive, dangerous and criminal nature. The bias is a cultural knowledge evolving from generation to generation, which also extends against Latinos. Research from Civile & Obhi (2017) indicates that the same patterns of shootings have constantly been experienced by Muslims wearing hijabs and headgear with darker skins experiencing too many shootings compared to light-skinned. Highlighted training and programs on shooter bias indicate that unconscious bias reflects the disparity in police brutality outcomes. As a result, unconscious bias being linked to violence and criminality against racial and minority groups can develop discriminatory outcomes due to the held prejudices underlying an individual's consciousness. In many police brutality cases against ethnic and racial minorities, the police always implicitly assume that black people do not deserve fair treatment during police interactions. As a result, this may lead to insignificant patterns of violence. Comment by Microsoft Office User: When it comes to topic development, make sure to be organized in terms of the flow of your discussion. When your paragraphs exceed 10 sentences, this can be overwhelming for the reader. Try to begin with a topic sentence and end with an outro sentence leading into the next topic. In between should be a mix of analysis/outside sources backing up your topic sentence.

It is important to note that police personality can also be a significant contributor to violence against racial and ethnic minorities. Social dominance orientation and right-wing authoritarianism make police officers adhere to authority figures' interests. The authority figures in this hold traditional contexts of beliefs and values raised against minority groups. On the other hand, social dominance is based on an individual's desire to dominate other out-groups. From this point, police from In-groups would view minorities from out-groups to be under their group; therefore, they feel like they can exercise their dominant powers on the in-groups. Comment by Microsoft Office User: What do you mean by this? Comment by Microsoft Office User: This section needs more outside sources to support the statements you are making.

How The Situation or Dilemma May Be Addressed Moving Forward with A Mutually Beneficial Outcome.

The federal government should change the existing policies and laws that govern police brutality and put more stringent regulations that can foresee the well-being of ethnic and racial minority groups. The American society should be educated on the benefits of equality to protect the nation from the adverse effects of hatred, aggressive behaviors, and criminal activities. Society should also change its traditional cultural beliefs on ethnic and racial groups. Police brutality should be made a national disaster with a change in the judicial system. Police officers should face criminal charges and prosecutions after committing violent crimes.

Conclusion

Police brutality has become an international disaster that society has to deal with on a societal level instead of individually. Many ethnic and racial minorities have suffered in the hands of the police without unjustified reasons, thus the need for system regulation. The government in its powers should ensure that strict measures and control are taken against police o0fficers and any group that would develop violence on people of color. Comment by Microsoft Office User: Try to expand more during your conclusion paragraph. As a rule of thumb, it should summarize all the points mentioned through out the paper as well as provide a minor discussion of the topic. When doing so, you should avoid repeating exact arguments/explanations/claims made through out the paper.

References

Bonilla-Silva, E. (2015). The structure of racism in color-blind, “post-racial” America. American Behavioral Scientist, 59(11), 1358–1376. https://doi-org.proxy-library.ashford.edu/10.1177/0002764215586826

Burkett, J., & Hayes, S. (2018). Campus Administrators’ Responses to Donald Trump’s Immigration Policy: Leadership during Times of Uncertainty. International Journal of Educational Leadership and Management, 6(2), 98–125.

Civile, C., & Obhi, S. S. (2017). Students wearing police uniforms exhibit biased attention toward individuals wearing hoodies. Frontiers in Psychology, 8. https://doi-org.proxy-library.ashford.edu/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00062

Lyle Perry, & Esmail Ashraf M. (2016). Sworn to Protect : Police Brutality – A Dilemma for America’s Police. Race, Gender & Class, 23(3–4), 155–185.

Mendoza, S. A., & Parks-Stamm, E. J. (2020). Embodying the police: The effects of enclothed cognition on shooting decisions. Psychological Reports, 123(6), 2353–2371. https://doi-org.proxy-library.ashford.edu/10.1177/0033294119860261

Roberson, Q., Ryan, A., & Ragins, B. (2017). The evolution and future of diversity at work. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102(3), 483-499. [PsycArticles].

Sekhon, N. (2019, October 1). Police and the Limit of Law. Columbia Law Review, 119(6).