NCJ Number
69478
Date Published
Unknown
Length
62 pages
Annotation
DATA ON RACIAL CONTROVERSIES INVOLVING NEW YORK'S BLACK AND PUERTO RICAN POPULATION BETWEEN 1960 AND JULY 1964, WERE OBTAINED FROM AN ANALYSIS OF NEW YORK TIMES NEWSPAPER ARTICLES.
Abstract
THESE NEWSPAPER ARTICLES COVERED ISSUES OF CONCERN TO MINORITIES, OR ACTIONS DIRECTED TOWARDS THEM BY OTHER PARTIES (EITHER GOVERNMENT OR NONMINORITY). EACH STORY WAS VIEWED AS CONTAINING ONE OR MORE EVENTS IN WHICH A PARTICULAR DID OR SAID SOMETHING TO ANOTHER REGARDING A SPECIFIC ISSUE. EACH ACTION TAKEN WAS RANKED ACCORDING TO AN 11-POINT SCALE RANGING FROM VERY COOPERATIVE TO VERY UNCOOPERATIVE, AND THE ISSUES WERE NOTED OVER WHICH THE ACTIONS WERE TAKEN. SUPPORTING THE CONTENTION OF 'SOLIDARITY THEORISTS,' THAT VIOLENCE GROWS FROM NORMAL POLITICAL ACTIVITY, DATA SHOWED A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF CONTINUITY IN THE ISSUES BEING DISCUSSED AND THE ACTORS DEBATING THEM. VIOLENCE FOLLOWED UNSUCCESSFUL EFFORTS BY MINORITY ACTORS TO ALTER THE BEHAVIOR OF NONMINORITY AND GOVERNMENT ACTORS TOWARD THEM THROUGH PEACEFUL AND NONVIOLENT STRATEGIES. THIS PATTERN OF CONFLICT CONFORMS TO THE THEORY THAT MASS VIOLENCE BY AGGRIEVED GROUPS OR CLASSES IS MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR WHEN (1) CONVENTIONAL CHANNELS FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS FAIL TO RESOLVE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS; (2) NONVIOLENT STRATEGIES FAIL TO EVOKE POSITIVE RESPONSES FROM THE TARGETS OF GRIEVANCES; AND (3) THE AGGRIEVED HAVE FEW STRATEGIES TO CHOOSE FROM IN ORDER TO MAKE THEIR CASE BEFORE THE PUBLIC. THE CONDUCT OF THIS MINORITY GROUP VIOLENCE IS SEEN AS AN ATTEMPT TO ELABORATE AND EXTEND EXISTING POLITICAL ROUTINES TO ACCOMMODATE NEW PARTICIPANTS AND AGENDAS, RATHER THAN TO OVERTHROW THE EXISTING SYSTEM OF DECISION-MAKING. OVER 95 REFERENCES AND 8 TABLES AND FIGURES ARE APPENDED.