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Hate Crime: The Global Politics of Polarization

NCJ Number
179424
Editor(s)
Robert J. Kelly, Jess Maghan
Date Published
1998
Length
264 pages
Annotation
This is a collection of essays that examine hate crimes and the historical, social, psychological and cultural intricacies and contradictions behind them.
Abstract
The analyses in the book serve to highlight two broad conclusions: that in times of social distress and economic uncertainty, tensions between groups become acute and find expression in hate crimes; and that the burden of guilt for these acts cannot be attributed to or blamed on entire groups of people. While individuals must ultimately bear the responsibility for their own behavior and criminal acts, the context and social climate in which these occur is quite relevant to their understanding. The essays discuss eight aspects of hate crimes that illustrate the ubiquity of the phenomenon, its commonality across cultures, time periods, ethnic, racial, religious and sexual groups: (1) Black rage, murder, racism and madness; (2) Neo-Nazis and Skinheads of Germany; (3) Ku Klux Klan and recurring hate in America; (4) homeless Palestinians in Israel and the Arab world; (5) hate crimes in India; (6) the war on street children in Colombia; (7) American hate crime jurisprudence; and (8) the pillory and popular morality in 18th century England. Notes, figures, bibliography