NCJ Number
80695
Journal
Sociological Spectrum Volume: 1 Issue: 4 Dated: (October-December 1981) Pages: 361-374
Date Published
1981
Length
14 pages
Annotation
To determine the effect of southern culture on white versus black homicide patterns, the paper examined patterns of race-specific homicide rates in Louisiana, with the State's parishes (counties) used as the units of analysis.
Abstract
The study also examined between-parish variance in race-specific rates as determined by social structural variables and by the location of parishes in different cultural regions. It used FBI Uniform Crime Report data listing each murder and nonnegligent homicide in Louisiana by jurisdiction for 1976-79. When the offender's race was known (in about 85 percent of the homicide cases), it was counted and when it was not known, the victim's race was used. The rates were then computed by dividing the number of homicides by the appropriate 1970 populations for each parish and averaging for the 4 years. Measure of parish structural conditions included the percent of children living in households headed by females, infant mortality rates, percent of families with incomes of less than $1,000 percent of the nonwhite population, and percent of population living in rural areas. A dummy variable of southernness was developed, and parishes were placed either in a southern category (north Louisiana) or a nonsouthern category (south Louisiana). Results show clear differences in the effects of cultural and structural factors on white, black and total rates of homicide. Results indicate that as the percent of black population in a parish decreases, the black homicide rate increases, which casts some doubt on sociological interpretations of the relatively high rates of black violence resulting from racial oppression alone. Implications are discussed. A total of 21 references, 3 tables, and 1 figure are included.