Date of Award

Spring 5-8-2018

Degree Type

Capstone Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Studies (BA)

Department

Cultural Studies

First Advisor

Douglas Reichert Powell

Second Advisor

Carmelo Esterrich

Third Advisor

Kenneth Daley

Abstract

Juvenile delinquency has been a social issue for many decades. While much research has studied the deviant behaviors of the adolescent, little focus has been placed on the degree to which the school environment plays on delinquent behavior. The purpose of this project is to use schools as the subject to contextualize the !ink bet\"Jeen racia!ized criminalization and the disproportionate rate at which black youths are in contact with the Juvenile Justice System. This work will apply labeling theory, theories of academic tracking/grouping, use of analytic autobiography, critical race theory and a Marxist critique of capitalism to investigate the significant influence of school environment on student behavior and perceptions of what is deemed criminal. This project argues that schools located in low-income, predominantly black neighborhoods practice racial criminalization and thus produce high rates of black juvenile arrest as a result of racial segregation and capitalist ideology. 28 pages.

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