Hate Crimes: New Social Movements and the Politics of Violence (Social Problems and Social Issues (Walter Paperback))

Violence motivated by racism, anti-Semitism, misogyny, and homophobia weaves a tragic pattern throughout American history. Fueled by recent high-profile cases, hate crimes have achieved an unprecedented visibility. Only in the past twenty years, however, has this kind of violence—itself as old as humankind—been specifically categorized and labeled as hate crime. Making Hate a Crime is the first book to trace the emergence and development of hate crime as a concept, illustrating how it has become institutionalized as a social fact and analyzing its policy implications. In Making Hate a Crime Valerie Jenness and Ryken Grattet show how the concept of hate crime emerged and evolved over time, as it traversed the arenas of American politics, legislatures, courts, and law enforcement. In the process, violence against people of color, immigrants, Jews, gays and lesbians, women, and persons with disabilities has come to be understood as hate crime, while violence against other vulnerable victims-octogenarians, union members, the elderly, and police officers, for example-has not. The authors reveal the crucial role social movements played in the early formulation of hate crime policy, as well as the way state and federal politicians defined the content of hate crime statutes, how judges determined the constitutional validity of those statutes, and how law enforcement has begun to distinguish between hate crime and other crime. Hate crime took on different meanings as it moved from social movement concept to law enforcement practice. As a result, it not only acquired a deeper jurisprudential foundation but its scope of application has been restricted in some ways and broadened in others. Making Hate a Crime reveals how our current understanding of hate crime is a mix of political and legal interpretations at work in the American policymaking process. Jenness and Grattet provide an insightful examination of the birth of a new category in criminal justice: hate crime. Their findings have implications for emerging social problems such as school violence, television-induced violence, elder-abuse, as well as older ones like drunk driving, stalking, and sexual harassment. Making Hate a Crime presents a fresh perspective on how social problems and the policies devised in response develop over time. A Volume in the American Sociological Association's Rose Series in Sociology

Violence directed at victimized groups because of their real or imagined characteristics is as old as humankind. Why, then, have hate crimes only recently become recog­nized as a serious social problem, especially in the United States? This book addresses a timely set of questions about the politics and dynamics of intergroup violence manifested as discrimination. It explores such issues as why injuries against some groups of people-Jews, people of color, gays and lesbians, and, on occasion, women and those with dis­abilities-have increasingly captured notice, while similar acts of bias-motivated violence continue to go unnoticed.

The authors offer empirically grounded, theoretically in­formed answers to the question: How is social change on this order possible? Their analysis of the dynamics draws upon three established traditions: the social constructionist approach; new social movements theory; and the new institutionalist approach to understanding change as a process of innovation and diffusion of cultural forms. In this case, new social movements have converged of late to sustain public discussions that put into question issues of rights and harm as they relate to a variety of minority constituencies.

The authors couple their general discussion with close attention to many particular anti-violence projects. They thereby develop a compelling theoretical argument about the social processes through which new social problems emerge, social policy is developed and diffused, and new cultural forms are institutionalized.

Violence directed at victimized groups because of their real or imagined characteristics is as old as humankind. Why, then, have "hate crimes" only recently become recognized as a serious social problem, especially in the United States? This book addresses a timely set of questions about the politics and dynamics of intergroup violence manifested as discrimination. It explores such issues as why injuries against some groups of people - Jews, people of color, gays and lesbians, and, on occasion, women and those with disabilities - have increasingly captured notice, while similar acts of bias-motivated violence continue to go unnoticed.The authors offer empirically grounded, theoretically informed answers to the How is social change on this order possible? Their analysis of the dynamics draws upon three established the social constructionist approach; new social movements theory; and the new institutionalist approach to understanding change as a process of innovation and diffusion of cultural forms. In this case, new social movements have converged of late to sustain public discussions that put into question issues of "rights" and "harm" as they relate to a variety of minority constituencies.The authors couple their general discussion with close attention to many particular anti-violence projects. They thereby develop a compelling theoretical argument about the social processes through which new social problems emerge, social policy is developed and diffused, and new cultural forms are institutionalized. "In this fascinating and important book, Valerie Jenness and Ryken Grattet show how social movement organizations, interest groups, and policy experts came to think that crimes motivated by hatred of social groups should be considered a special type of crime; how they managed to win media attention for this newly defined type of crime; how they convinced Congress and many state legislatures to accept their view and to enact hate crime laws; how interpretations of hate crime laws by the courts and the police affect enforcement; and the impact hate crime laws are likely to have on American society. Make Hate a Crime is a well-written analysis of an important chapter in American politics, and will be of great interest to a wide audience concerned about hate crimes."--Paul Burstein, professor of sociology, University of Washington. -- "In their insightful new work, Jenness and Grattet effectively analyze the development of hate crime laws. How are we to explain the instiutionalization of hate crime legislation? Was it a result of a rising tide of hate violence or simply the influence of interest group politics? This book presents a convincing case that it was neither. There are important sociological lessons to be learned from the pages of Making Hate a Crime."--Jack Levin, Professor of Sociology and Criminology and director of the Brudnick Center on Violence and Conflict, Northeastern University This Book Addresses A Timely Set Of Questions About The Politics And Dynamics Of Intergroup Violence Manifest As Discrimination. It Explores Such Issues As Why Injuries Against Some Groups Of People - Jews, People Of Color, Gays And Lesbians, And, On Occasion, Women, And Those With Disabilities - Have Increasingly Captured Notice, While Similar Acts Of Bias-motivated Violence Continue To Go Unnoticed? It Also Contributes To The Discourse Of Criminology By Considering How Legal Mobilization Has Brought About Whole New Categories Of Statutory Criminal Conduct. The Authors Offer Empirically Grounded, Theoretically Informed Answers To A Fundamental Sociological Question: How Is Social Change On This Order Possible?--jacket. [section] 1. New View Of Hate-motivated Violence -- [pt]. 1. Introduction -- [pt]. 2. New Discourse On Violence And The Production Of Hate Crimes -- [section] 2. Violence Against Gays And Lesbians -- [pt]. 3. Discovering And Expanding The Domain -- [pt]. 4. Framing The Problem -- [section] 3. Violence Against Women -- [pt]. 5. Contemporary Antiviolence Against Women Campaigns -- [pt]. 6. Innovation And Diffusion Of The Violence Against Women Act -- [section] 4. Conclusion -- [pt]. 7. Hate Crime As A Social Problem: Theoretical Implications. Valerie Jenness And Kendal Broad. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 189-206) And Index.