RACIAL RASHOMON

{FLERAS, SOCIAL PROBLEMS, CRIME AND CONTROL - PP. 148}

PEOPLE SEE THE WORLD DIFFERENTLY DEPENDING ON WHO THEY ARE OR WHAT THEY DO

IN HIS FILM, “RASHOMON,” THE REVERED JAPANESE FILM PRODUCER, AKIRA KUROSAWA, EXPLORED HIS MULTI-PERSPECTIVAL THEME ==è THE FILM REVOLVED AROUND THE COMPETING PERCEPTIONS OF THOSE WHO “WITNESSED” A BRUTAL INCIDENT INVOLVING A WOMEN, HER HUSBAND, A BANDIT, AND A PEASANT ONLOOKER ==è EACH OF THE WITNESSES NOT ONLY INTERPRETED THE RAPE IN A DIFFERENT WAY BUT DID SO IN A WAY THAT REFLECTED FAVBOURABLY ON THEMSELVES ==è THE PROCESS BY WHICH DIVERGENT AND SELF-SERVING INTERPRETATIONS DEFINE THE SAME INCIDENT HAS COME TO BE KNOW AS THE “RASHOMON EFFECT”

THE RADICAL RELATIVISM IMPLICIT IN THE RASHOMON EFFECT CAN HELP UNTANGLE A PARADOX IN RACE RELATIONS.

EX: SOME BELIEVE THAT RACISM IN CANADA IS UNDER CONTROL WHILE OTHERS THINK IT IS OUT OF CONTROL?

WHITES AND NON-WHITES TENT TO HAVE DIFFERENT OUTLOOKS ON THE NATURE AND CAUSES OF RACISM.

(1) WHITES USUALLY UNDERESTIMATE THE SCOPE AND IMPACT OF RACISM, PREFERRING TO SEE IT AS A RANDOM AND INDIVIDUALIZED INCIDENT THAT CAN EASILY BE CONTROLLED THROUGH ATTITUDE MODIFICATION. (AND EQUALITY IS TREATING OTHERS AS EQUALS WHICH ASSUMING THAT “OUR” WAY IS THE RIGHT WAY).

(2) NON-WHITES TEND TO EMPHASIZE THE MAGNITUDE AND EFFECTS. RACISM IS DEEMED TO BE SYSTEMATIC OR SYSTEMIC, EMBEDDED WITHIN THE INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE OF SOCIETY. (AND THE REMOVAL OF INSTITUTIONAL BARRIERS AND POWER SHARING IS EASIER SAID THAN DONE).

THE DOMINANT WHITE DISCOURSE(S) ASSUMES THAT SOCIETY IS BASICALLY SOUND WITH A FEW MISGUIDED RACISTS (RACISM ==’S A FEW “BAD APPLES” IN THE BARREL)

MINORITY DISCOURSES SUGGEST CANADA IS A FUNDAMENTALLY RACIST SOCIETY (RACISM ==’S SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE “ROTTEN AT THE CORE”)

WHAT ARE THE REPERCUSSIONS?

(1) THE LACK OF AGREEMENT IN ASSESSING THE PROBLEM OF RACISM COMPROMISES A CAPACITY FOR SOLUTIONS CONSISTENT WITH THE DEFINITION.

(2) THE RASHOMON EFFECT CAN COME INTO PLAY WITH THE POLITICS OF “RACIAL PROFILING” ===è CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: “DO POLICE STOP WHAT THEY SEE OR WHO THEY SEE? ==è IS AN EXPENSIVE CAR STOPPED BECAUSE THE DRIVER IS A YOUNG BLACK MALE? DO POLICE HAVE ARTICULABLE GROUNDS (A REASONABLE AND CLEARLY EXPRESSED CAUSE) FOR THE STOP, OR ARE MINORITIES PROVILED ON IMPROPER GROUNDS SUCH AS RACE?

(3) QUESTION: WHAT ARE OTHER REPRECUSSIONS {RELATED TO WHOSE “DEFINITION OF THE SITUATION” IS ENFORCED}?

DEFINITIONS OF RACIAL AND CRIMINAL PROFILING

RACIAL PROFILING: ACCORDING TO THE ONTARIO HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION (2003), RACIAL PROFILING CAN BE DEFINED AS ACTIONS UNDERTAKEN FOR REASONS OF SAFETY OR SECURITY THAT RELY ON STEREOTYPES OF RACE TO TARGET MEMBER OF A GROUP FOR NEGATIVE TREATMENT

CRIMINAL PROFILING: {BY CONTRAST} RELIES ON ACTUAL BEHAVIOUR OR INFORMATION THAT MEETS THE DESCRIPTION OF SUSPECTS.

RACIAL PROFILING MAY BE A KIND OF CRIMINAL PROFILING BUT, RATHER THAN REFLECT OBJECTIVE EVIDENCE, IT INVOLVES A MINDSET BASED ON STEREOTYPICAL ASSUMPTIONS RELATED TO RACE AND PRECONCEIVED IDEAS ABOUT A PERSONS CHARACTER

THE SOCIOLOGY OF RACIAL PROFILING

WORTLEY, SCOT AND JULIAN TANNER. 2004 “DATA, DENIALS AND CONFUSION: THE RACIAL PROFILING DEBATE IN TORONTO.” THE CANADIAN REVIEW OF POLICING RESEARCH.

EX: CLOSS, WILLIAM J. “THE KINSTON POLICE DATA COLLECTION PROJECT: A PRELIMINARY REPORT TO THE KINGSTON POLICE SERVICES BOARD.” 17 MARCH 2005.

FIRST, BECAUSE BLACK PEOPLE ARE SUBJECT TO GREATER AND INCREASED SURVEILLANCE, THERE ARE ALSO INCREASED CHANCES FOR THEM TO GET CAUGHT WHILE THEY BREAK THE LAW (WORTLEY AND TANNER 6). SECONDLY, RACIAL PROFILING FURTHER “ALIENATES BLACK PEOPLE FROM MAINSTREAM CANADIAN SOCIETY AND REINFORCES PERCEPTIONS OF DISCRIMINATION AND RACIAL INJUSTICE.” THESE TWO CONTINGENCIES STRENGTHEN THE ARGUMENT THAT BEING BLACK EQUATES TO BEING SEEN AS THE “USUAL SUSPECT.” THIS KIND OF MINDSET SERVES AS A SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY WITHIN THE POLICE FORCE.

DATA COLLECTION WILL – SERVE AS AN EFFECTIVE MEANS OF MONITORING POLICE BEHAVIOUR AND MIGHT VERY WELL REDUCE THE NUMBER OF UNJUSTIFIED RACIAL PROFILING INCIDENTS; AND SERVE AS A TRANSPARENT EFFORT TO MONITOR AND ELIMINATE RACIAL PROFILING THAT WOULD ULTIMATELY IMPROVE THE RELATIONSHIP THE POLICE HAVE WITH VARIOUS RACIAL MINORITY GROUPS (9).

GREATER TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY

DATA COLLECTION, WHETHER AS AN ADOPTED PROCESS OR AN AVAILABLE ONE, CAN BE A PROACTIVE MONITORING AND OVERSIGHT TOOL THAT EFFECTIVELY ADDRESSES POLICE DISMISSALS BASED ON THE “BAD APPLE” ANALOGY (CLOSS, 5).

THE CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE (CACP) PASSED A RESOLUTION ENTITLED “BIAS-FREE POLICING” AND IT NOTES:

THAT CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE MEMBERS WILL EXERCISE LEADERSHIP BY INITIATING OR STRENGTHENING PROGRAMS AND STRATEGIES THAT PROMOTE BIAS-FREE POLICING, GIVING PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY, POLICY-MAKING, MANAGEMENT, SUPERVISION, EQUITABLE HUMAN RESOURCES PRACTICES, EDUCATION, COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND PARTNERSHIPS (CLOSS, 9).