Cultural and Gendered Influences on Oppressive Attitudes among CJ Majors: United States and South Korea

• In Event: Global and Comparative CJ Education and Reseach Dissemination

Abstract

Understanding how oppressive attitudes form and persist among future criminal justice professionals is crucial for developing an unbiased criminal justice system. While prior research indicates that criminal justice (CJ) majors tend to exhibit higher levels of bias than other majors, little is known about how these attitudes manifest within different cultural and gender contexts. This study investigates the influence of cultural and gendered contexts on both individual oppressive attitudes and their interconnected patterns among CJ majors in the United States and South Korea. Survey data from 697 CJ students (356 United States, 341 South Korea) were analyzed to assess nine types of oppressive attitudes: prison rape myths, male rape myths, female rape myths, attitudes towards prisoners, homosexuality, prostitution, general racial prejudice, personal racial prejudice, and sexism. Using logistic regression and two-step cluster analyses, this study examines not only individual biases but also how these attitudes cluster into broader patterns of oppression across different cultural and gendered contexts. This comprehensive approach will inform the development of culturally responsive educational interventions that address both specific biases and their broader intersections within criminal justice education.

Authors

• Sunhye Kang, Sam Houston State University

• Bitna Kim, Sam Houston State University

• Hyeonna Bak, Somang Correctional Institution