Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Criminal Justice

Advisor

Karel A. Kurst-Swanger

Abstract

The rate of Black imprisonment in the United States is nearly 6 times that of Whites. Wholesale criminalization of Black Americans denote institutional racism within America’s criminal justice system. Limited research is available examining crime control rhetoric of U.S. presidents to determine if Blacks are constructed as criminals through carefully coded crime control discourse. The purpose of this qualitative, case study was to investigate whether presidents used language that construct Black criminality. A social construction theoretical framework and critical discourse analysis was applied. The data used for this study included scripted speeches. The collection of data began with 54 speeches gathered using an Internet search for nomination, inaugural, weekly addresses, and State of the Union speeches. Words and phrases were examined for theme relevancy according to Fairclough’s 3-step process using Higginbotham’s precepts of American slavery jurisprudence. The research question examined whether crime control language used by Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Trump construct the implication of Black criminality in the 21st century. Each president, except Bush, constructed implications of Black criminality by repeating prevailing assumptions of welfare, poverty, crime, and violence. The results of this study can be used as talking points for positive social change for how American presidents discuss crime control in the future with the goal of eliminating stereotypes and assumptions that construct Black criminality, institutional racism in criminal justice and genocide. Further research is needed to determine relationships between life chances and the effect or impact that crime control rhetoric has on Black families and their communities.

Download

Share

 
COinS