Final answer:
The overrepresentation of Black men in robbery, according to Katz, is tied to structural factors such as poverty, income inequality, and racism, rather than racial characteristics. Social disorganization theory supports the idea that disadvantaged neighborhoods struggle with crime due to ineffective social control. Historical events also demonstrate the role racism has played independent of community crime rates.
Step-by-step explanation:
Katz's explanation for the overrepresentation of Black men in robbery is essentially linked to broader structural issues, not inherent racial characteristics. Through research and studies, it's shown that factors such as poverty, income inequality, lack of opportunity, racism, poor schooling, gang activity, and substance abuse greatly influence crime rates. Specifically, Lawrence F. Katz co-authored the study "Neighborhood Effects on Crime for Female and Male Youth: Evidence from a Randomized Housing Voucher Experiment" which found that neighborhood variables such as the percentage of young males, the joblessness rate, residential instability, and population density are strong predictors of crime rates.
This notion is supported by social disorganization theory, which suggests that areas with high poverty rates, ethnic diversity, and residential turnover struggle to establish effective social control among residents. This can be likened to a family where parents are unable to exert control over children they don't know well or have little leverage over. Such environments make it difficult for communities to come together with a shared sense of right and wrong. Thus, the presence of certain businesses, like payday lenders, may exacerbate crime rates.
Moreover, historical events like the Tulsa Race Massacre exemplify how violence against Black communities can stem from racism and envy, independent of the criminal behavior within those communities. The systemic and historical roots of racism persist today and have continued effects on crime rates and the criminal justice system's response to Black individuals, emphasizing the need for a societal shift to address these underlying causes rather than attributing blame to racial groups.