Date of Conferral

2023

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Criminal Justice

Advisor

Dianne Williams

Abstract

African Americans make up a very small percentage of our nation’s population. However, studies have shown that they are treated unfairly by law enforcement at higher rates than their white counterparts. The purpose of this qualitative study was to utilize a phenomenological approach to assess the perceptions of the lived experience of African Americans who claim to have been the recipients of racial discrimination by police. The study specifically focused on targeted rural areas in South Georgia to determine if “rural” life would alter how recipients perceived the overall legitimacy of policing after encountering a racially discriminatory interaction with police. Equity theory was used as the theoretical foundation, which examines how individuals alter their attitudes and behavior when they perceive themselves to be in a situation that is unfair or imbalanced. This theoretical approach helped explain why the nine participants altered how they viewed police legitimacy after being treated unfairly by police to restore their perceived imbalance. The overall focus of the study was aimed at answering how residing in rural areas influences the way the recipients of racially discriminatory acts by police view the overall legitimacy of law enforcement. Findings suggested that in some instances, the recipients of racial discrimination were able to look past the isolated event. However, most of the findings suggested that the negative encounter with police deteriorated the concept of police legitimacy due to a lack of trust. Understanding where the potential opportunities are by examining the beforementioned perceptions allows specific recommendations to prevail promoting positive social change.

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