Race, Xenophobia, and Punitiveness Among the American Public
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-24-2018
Description
We outline four connections between xenophobia and punitiveness toward criminals in a national sample of Americans. First, among self-identified whites xenophobia is more predictive of punitiveness than specific forms of racial animus. Second, xenophobia and punitiveness are strongly connected among whites, but are only moderately and weakly related among black and Hispanic Americans, respectively. Third, among whites substantial proportions of the variance between sociodemographic, political, and religious predictors of punitiveness are mediated by levels of xenophobia. Finally, xenophobia is the strongest overall predictor of punitiveness among whites. Overall, xenophobia is an essential aspect of understanding public punitiveness, particularly among whites.
Citation Information
Baker, Joseph O.; Canarte, David; and Day, Edward. 2018. Race, Xenophobia, and Punitiveness Among the American Public. Sociology Quarterly. Vol.59(3). 363-383. https://doi.org/10.1080/00380253.2018.1479202 https://doi.org/10.1080/00380253.2018.1479202 ISSN: 0007-1315