Africa as a continent, which holds strong to its patriarchal cultural principles and practices, is known for its blatant display of violent abuse of women, including state-sanctioned violence, and its lax approach to national legislative policies and international treaties against violence against women. Using data from Africa, the Americas, Australia, and Europe, this edited collection showcases a variety of experiences and perspectives in the international comparative study of violence against women of African ancestry. This approach provides the context for examining the problem of violence against women, including its policy and practice responses (if any), as it impacts women of African origin in different parts of the world. This book is of value to those interested in African studies, criminology, gender studies, sociology, and many more.

First published in 1999, this book offers an innovative study of the impact that courts have upon the representation of black people in criminal statistics in the UK. In the past, research in this area has focused on sentencing and upon why black people are disproportionately represented in the prison population. Such studies have, however, overlooked the potential significance of discrimination in the pre-sentence social processes of the courts. Anita Kalunta-Crumpton adopts a new approach which examines the progress of cases prior to sentencing. Her book also locates the courts within a theoretical context of social construction. It thus, unlike earlier quantitative studies, represents the court system as non-mechanical. In this way 'Race and Drug Trials' exposes the vital role that the trial process plays in the apparent racialization of 'justice'. The volume is part of a series which brings together research from a range of disciplines including criminology, cultural studies and applied social sciences, focusing on experiences of ethnic, gender and class relations. In particular, the series examines the treatment of marginalised groups within the social systems for criminal justice, education, health, employment and welfare.

Criminology assumes the position of an established discipline, yet its influence is limited by its primary focus on the West for both theoretical and empirical substance. But the growing interest in comparative criminology now means that countries compare notes, thereby broadening the parameters of criminology. Still relatively ignored in the literature, however, are issues of crime and justice as they affect people of African descent around the globe. Drawing upon materials from countries in Africa, the Caribbean, North and South America, and Europe, this stimulating book reflects on the experiences of people of African descent to offer a convergence of criminologies in and outside the West. Simultaneously, it acknowledges Western criminology as a significant angle from which to comprehend crime and justice as they are conceptualized outside the West. The volume also investigates whether Western criminological accounts are relevant to the comprehension of crime, criminality and systems of justice in Africa, the Caribbean and South America.

First published in 1999, this book offers an innovative study of the impact that courts have upon the representation of black people in criminal statistics in the UK. In the past, research in this area has focused on sentencing and upon why black people are disproportionately represented in the prison population. Such studies have, however, overlooked the potential significance of discrimination in the pre-sentence social processes of the courts. Anita Kalunta-Crumpton adopts a new approach which examines the progress of cases prior to sentencing. Her book also locates the courts within a theoretical context of social construction. It thus, unlike earlier quantitative studies, represents the court system as non-mechanical. In this way 'Race and Drug Trials' exposes the vital role that the trial process plays in the apparent racialization of 'justice'. The volume is part of a series which brings together research from a range of disciplines including criminology, cultural studies and applied social sciences, focusing on experiences of ethnic, gender and class relations. In particular, the series examines the treatment of marginalised groups within the social systems for criminal justice, education, health, employment and welfare.

Criminology assumes the position of an established discipline, yet its influence is limited by its primary focus on the West for both theoretical and empirical substance. But the growing interest in comparative criminology now means that countries compare notes, thereby broadening the parameters of criminology. Still relatively ignored in the literature, however, are issues of crime and justice as they affect people of African descent around the globe. Drawing upon materials from countries in Africa, the Caribbean, North and South America, and Europe, this stimulating book reflects on the experiences of people of African descent to offer a convergence of criminologies in and outside the West. Simultaneously, it acknowledges Western criminology as a significant angle from which to comprehend crime and justice as they are conceptualized outside the West. The volume also investigates whether Western criminological accounts are relevant to the comprehension of crime, criminality and systems of justice in Africa, the Caribbean and South America.