Date of Award
Spring 5-2019
Document Type
Honors Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Criminal Justice
Advisor/Committee Chair
Alan Lizotte, Ph.D.
Abstract
This study focuses on the effects that racial segregation has on homicide rates. Using two major cities that have similar demographics, Chicago, Illinois and Los Angeles, California, this paper studies homicide rates at checkpoints over a span of time while also recording poverty rates and racial isolation. The Uniform Crime Report put out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation will provide data about homicides in the two cities for the respective years. Racial segregation is still an incessant issue throughout the country and causes issues through three major factors, economy, culture, and politics. These issues cause tension between minority and majority societies that may ultimately lead to violence within communities. Chicago, Illinois is known for its high racial segregation while Los Angeles, California has been listed as one of the most racially integrated major cities in the United States. These two cities present similar experimental groups that may show that the difference in segregation rates might have an effect on violence, particularly homicide. The hypothesis is that if a city is more racially integrated, like Los Angeles, then it is more likely to have a lower homicide rate as a result of fewer racial tensions.
Recommended Citation
Sullivan, Taylor, "Comparing the Effects of Racial Segregation on Homicide Trends in Two Major US Cities" (2019). Criminal Justice. 21.
https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/honorscollege_cj/21