Transcript UNDERSTANDING CULTURAL DIFERENCES

Nuclear Survival
Exercise
Only 6 can enter . . .
1. Bookkeeper, White, Male, 31 old years
2. His wife, 28, Asian, six months pregnant
3. Black male militant, 26, second-year
medical student
4. Famous historian-author, Hispanic, Male,
42 years old
5. Hollywood starlet, 25, singer; dancer
6. Bio-chemist, 35, Male, Saudi, Muslim,
7. Rabbi; 54 old years
8. Olympic Track Athlete, 22, Black, Female
9. College student, 20, White, Female
10. Police Officer, 48, White, Male, with gun
(they can’t be separated)
Which
4 did your group
exclude? Why?
Which 6 did your group
keep? Why
RACISM AND BIGOTRY
RACISM AND BIGOTRY ARE
VERY MUCH A PART OF
AMERICAN SOCIETY
RACISM CAN BE AS
COMMON IN LAW
ENFORCEMENT AS IN ANY
OTHER SEGMENT OF
SOCIETY
 INDIVIDUAL
 INSTITUTIONAL
 CULTURAL
INDIVIDUAL RACISM
The belief that ethnic minorities
are inferior because of their
racial identity and the
corresponding behavior patterns
which seem to perpetuate these
attitudes and positions
INSTITUTIONAL RACISM

Any internal organizational activities
that create racial inequalities and result
in the subordination and oppression of
minorities either intentional or the result
of “business as usual”

Institutional racism is an extension of
individual racism inherent in culture
CULTURAL RACISM
 Involves
the elevation of the
cultural heritage of one group
to a position of superiority over
the cultural experiences of
other ethnic, minority groups
CULTURAL RACISM
 The
idea that one group is
right, to the exclusion of all
others, prevails in this
expression of racism
CULTURAL RACISM
 In
this view, only those values,
attitudes, beliefs, traditions,
customs and morals ascribed to
the dominant group are
considered acceptable and
normal prescriptions of behavior
CULTURAL RACISM




Prejudice against individuals because of their culture
The culture of minority groups is seen as flawed in
some way
Minorities are encouraged to turn their back on their
own culture and to become absorbed by the majority
culture
Cultural racism, as a theory, needs to prove the
superiority of Europeans, and needs to do so without
recourse to the older arguments from religion and
from biology. How does it do this?
CULTURAL RACISM
By recourse to history – by constructing a
characteristic theory of cultural (and
intellectual) history
 The claim is simply made that nearly all of
the important cultural innovations which
historically generate cultural progress
occurred first in Europe, then, later, diffused
to the non-European peoples

CULTURAL RACISM
Therefore, at each moment in history
Europeans are more advanced than nonEuropeans in overall cultural development,
and they are more progressive than nonEuropeans
 This is asserted as a great bundle of
apparently empirical facts about invention
and innovation, not only of material and
technological traits but of political and social
traits like the state, the market, the family

Unreasonable feelings,
opinions or attitudes,
especially of a hostile
nature, regarding a
racial, religious or
national group
What’s different?
STEREOTYPES
Positive or negative images we hold of
certain people, races or ethnic groups
within various categories
 People use stereotypes as a justification
for their actions in accepting or
rejecting various people or groups

DISCRIMINATION
Treatment or consideration of, or
making a distinction in favor of
or against, a person or thing
based on the group, class, or
category to which that person
or thing belongs rather than on
individual merit.
CONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE
When we accept a person
“conditionally” a burden is placed on
him or her
 The term “If” is the key that locks them
in a box
 Conditional acceptance is the proposal
to include a person as long as he or she
changes something in his or her
behavior or values to suit our taste
 This kind of acceptance is not respectful
of a person’s uniqueness

UNCONDITIONAL
ACCEPTANCE
You
include the person
as he or she is
Is free from judgment
and evaluation
PREJUDICIAL BEHAVIOR MAY BE
RANKED ON A CONTINUUM FROM
LEAST SEVERE TO MOST SEVERE
Avoidance
 Negative speech
 Discrimination
 Physical attack
 Extermination/genocide

CROSS-CULTURAL
COMMUNICATION TRAPS INTO
WHICH OFFICERS CAN FALL
Using language to become or sound
like “one of them”
 Trying to “fit” by emulating the
lifestyle of group members can be
viewed as mocking that group
 Working “too hard” not to offend can
be offensive
 Use of statements such as, “Some of
my best friends are…” can be
offensive

CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION and
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Gestures. There are a few gestures in
American English that are offensive in other
cultures . . .
[e.g., the O.K. gesture is obscene in Latin
America, the good luck gesture is offensive
in parts of Vietnam, and the “come here”
gesture (beckoning people to come with
the palm up) is very insulting in most of
Asia and Latin America]
CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION and
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Body Position. A person relaxing at his
desk with his feet up, baring the soles of his
shoes, would most likely offend a Saudi
Arabian or Thai (and other groups as well)
coming into the office.
To show one’s foot in many cultures is
insulting -- the foot is considered the dirtiest
part of the body. (This would also apply to an
officer who makes physical contact with the foot
when, for example, someone is lying on the ground.)
CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION and
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Facial Expressions. Not all facial
expressions mean the same thing across
cultures. The smile is a great source of
confusion for many people in law
enforcement when they encounter people
from Asian, especially Southeast Asian,
cultures. A smile or giggle can cover up pain,
humiliation, and embarrassment. Some
women (e.g. Japanese, Vietnamese) cover up
their mouth when they smile or giggle. . . .>
CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION and
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Facial Expressions. Upon hearing
something sad, a Vietnamese may smile.
Similarly, an officer may need to
communicate something that causes a loss
of face to a person, resulting in the person
smiling. This smile does not mean that the
person is trying to be a “smart aleck” with
you. It is simply a culturally conditioned
response.
CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION and
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Eye contact. In many parts of the world,
eye contact is avoided with authority figures.
In parts of India, for example, a father
would discipline his child by saying, “Don’t
look me in the eye when I’m speaking to
you.” An American parent would say “Look
me in the eye when I’m speaking to you.” To
maintain direct eye contact with a police
officer in some cultures would be
disrespectful.
CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION and
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Physical distance. Police officers are
perhaps more aware than others of the
distance they keep from people in order
to remain safe. When someone
“violates” this distance, a person often
feels threatened and backs away, or in
the case of an officer, begins to think
about protective measures.
CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION and
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Physical distance. In general, Latin
Americans, and Middle Easterners are more
comfortable at closer distances than are
northern Europeans, Asians, or the majority
of Americans.
WHEN STRESSED, PEOPLE
REVERT TO WHAT IS
FAMILIAR INCLUDING
THEIR LANGUAGE
Polarization of officers
 Racial slurs, gestures, graffiti
 Stereotyping
 Unfair promotional practices
 Intimidation
 Pattern of unpleasant job
assignments

Biased personnel assignments
 Perception of lowered
standards for minorities
 Hierarchy, lacking parity of
minorities
 Racial inequality in specialized units
 Forced to depend on organization
other than dept. bargaining unit for
protection of workplace equality

BIAS BASED PROFILING &
ILLEGAL PROFILING
BIAS
AN ADVERSE OR PRECONCEIVED
OPINION OR JUDGMENT
TOWARDS A SPECIFIC GROUP,
RACE, RELIGION OR SEXUAL
ORIENTATION WITH AN
INCLINATION FOR OR AGAINST
A PERSON THAT INHIBITS
IMPARTIAL JUDGMENT
UNEQUAL TREATMENT BY A LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICER OF ANY
PERSON BY STOPPING,
QUESTIONING, SEARCHING,
DETAINING OR ARRESTING HIM/HER
ON THE BASIS OF THE PERSON’S
ETHNIC OR RACIAL
CHARACTERISTICS, GENDER,
RELIGION OR SEXUAL
ORIENTATION
Scenario #1
Officer parked at a stop sign in
proximity to an upper class
neighborhood high school. Two cars
with white teens roll through the stop
sign in “Acura” – type vehicles. The
officer does not stop either vehicle.
Two Hispanic teens, in a “Chevy
Capri” , roll through the stop sign.
The officer makes a stop on that
vehicle.
Legal / ethical???
Scenario #2
Two Vietnamese teen boys are walking
in front of a liquor store in a highcrime, low economical area where
several reports of robberies by
Vietnamese gang members have taken
place. There are a couple of citizens in
the background walking or talking.
Officer pulls up to the curb and gets
out of the unit. He calls to the boys,
“Hey, you two! Come over here, we
need to talk!” Legal / Ethical???
Scenario #3
A black middle-age male in sweats is
riding a bicycle and carrying a
package under his arm. This is in an
upper, middle-class, predominantly
white neighborhood. A white officer
driving by pulls up alongside and
says, “I need you to pull over, now!
Hold up right there!” The man stops
and officer parks and approaches
him.
Legal / Ethical???
Uncomfortable around gays/lesbians
 Fear of disease
 Homosexuality is a free choice
 Reprisals against gay/lesbian
co-workers are okay
 Feel their
masculinity/femininity
is challenged

Gay officers will “walk around hand in
hand”
 Can’t rely on gay officers for back-up
 Fear, dislike and hate those who have
same-sex relationships
 Dislike for those who love
or are sexually attracted
to those of the same sex

CRIMINAL PROFILING: Based on
observed behaviors and
characteristics
 RACIAL PROFILING: The factors of
race and bias toward that
race are initiating factors for
law enforcement
intervention.

Racial Profiling?
Racial Profiling?
Jersey 4
 April
23, 1998 - 3 Blacks
and 1 Latino
 New Jersey Turnpike 11pm
 Troopers pulled along side and
looked in, backed off and pulled
them over
 Troopers later claimed the van was
clocked at 74mph
 Good stop?
Jersey 4
 Troopers
flanked the van with guns
drawn – 4 black men?
Jersey 4
 Keshon
Moore accidentally knocked
the gear into reverse & the car rolled
backwards
 What
should you do?
Jersey 4
 The
officers opened fire as the car
rolled slowly back into a ditch
 Reyes was hit six times, Grant four,
Brown two (who was asleep in back)
 Troopers testified at least one of the
men had his hands up as they fired
 No weapons were seen by either
trooper when they fired
 Good shooting???
Jersey 4
A
police search found no guns or
drugs in the van.
 Governor Christine Whitman simply
declared, "There is no such thing as
racial profiling.“
 Cops initially cleared & then amid
public outcry indicted, judge later
dismissed all charges
Jersey 4
 1996
court case showed 98% of
cars on NJ Turnpike were speeing
 46% of those stopped were black –
does that = racial profiling???
 What if only 13% of
drivers on the Turnpike
are black???
 Does it matter what the
4 men were doing?
Jersey 4
 Does
it matter if the Troopers didn’t
have Probable Cause for the stop?
 NJ Attorney General Peter Verniero
admitted state troopers practiced
racial profiling
 $12.95 million to
the four men
 DOJ still monitoring
Jersey 4
 Kenna
and Hogan later
acknowledged the state police
practiced racial profiling
 Pleaded guilty to official misconduct
and providing false information
 Troopers Kenna and Hogan didn’t
even have a radar in their cruiser
the night of the shooting
X-Trooper Hogan
He defends racial profiling, arguing that
while drug use cuts across racial lines,
my experience led me to believe that
drug trafficking was dominated by
blacks and Latinos
 I found it useful to listen to rap
performers like Nas, N.W.A. and
Notorious B.I.G. so I could speak
to these individuals in a
language they understood.

X-Trooper Hogan
Now says he fired only after the driver
had backed up, struck his leg and
knocked him over, and that he feared
the young men were drug dealers trying
to kill him
 He acknowledges he lied to
investigators but only after other
troopers encouraged him to
 I feel as much sympathy for us
as I do for them

Racial Profiling?
Racial Profiling?
Chester Township Police
Chief Jim Charley
"I believe a legitimate traffic stop can be
made on the basis of viewing a black
individual in a white neighborhood in a
fancy car, wearing a multitude of gold
chains, wearing sunglasses."
 No longer a chief!
 Now he’s a judge?????

Black police officers
are also found to
racially profile.
Research shows each
ethnic group is likely
to profile the others.
CRIMINAL PROFILING

Also called: Investigative profiling
Forensic Profiling

Courts have accepted such profiles in
many types of cases involving:
- Serial Murderers
- Aggravated stalking suspects
- Perpetrators of hate crime
- Pedophiles
- Rapists
CRIMINAL PROFILING
Additionally, the U.S. Supreme Court and
many Federal Appellate courts have approved
DEA Drug Courier Profiles as an appropriate
investigative tool.
 However, NO court has approved the use of
profiles to make racially motivated traffic
stops.

Basis for Stops

Once a stop or seizure has occurred,
the officer must be able to satisfy the
court that it was based on a reasonable,
articulable suspicion.
ARTICULABLE SUSPICION
A set of clearly expressed facts and
circumstances that would warrant
a person of average caution in
believing that an offense:
• Has been committed
• Is being committed
• Is about to be committed by a specific
person
ARTICULABLE SUSPICION

It can be based on
– Officer’s Observations
– Officer’s Training & experience
– Information obtained from credible outside
source
– Subtle conduct
– Gestures, behaviors, & expressions
consistent with suspicious activity
CAUTIONS



Race CANNOT tip the scales for
selective enforcement
Race alone CANNOT be probable cause
or reasonable suspicion
“Race out-of-place” is NOT probable
cause or reasonable suspicion
Bias Based Profiling




Is illegal
Is immoral
Is not effective
Has negative consequences for officer’s
credibility, the individual profiled, the
community, and the Criminal Justice
system
 You
will go to prison for it!!!