Roundtable: The Ethics and Politics of Race and Justice Research

Session Submission Type: Roundtable Session

Abstract

Today race and justice are at the center public debate. This roundtable will foreground the role, ethics, and politics of criminological research findings and their public dissemination. WSU-Spokane has produced studies the authors interpret as indicating a "reverse racism" effect whereby White officers act to protect armed Black subjects. These claims conflict with 40+ years of research on racially charged police-citizen encounters while avoiding much relevant race scholarship, despite deploying of terms like "reverse racism". These studies have received considerable attention in mainstream and White supremacist media outlets and similar work is currently underway to build from these results. We believe this line of inquiry leaves crucial social and racial dynamics in police-citizen encounters unexplored and worry about the potential of new policies based on such findings. Given the intense conflicts between police and communities of color, as scholars we must interrogate the responsibilities of publishing and promoting such pieces—not simply those of the authors, but also those of journal editors and reviewers who need guidance in properly scrutinizing such work. We believe this discussion has important implications not only for the discipline, but also for the relationship between social science research and public policy.

Sub Unit

• Area XIII: Roundtable Sessions

Chair

• Jason Williams, Montclair State University

Discussants

• Aaron Roussell, Portland State University

• Hillary Potter, University of Colorado Boulder

• Jason Williams, Montclair State University