Stop Snitching: Hip Hop's Influence on Crime Reporting in the Inner City
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Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Dissertations Graduate College 4-2012 Stop Snitching: Hip Hop's Influence on Crime Reporting in the Inner City Ladel Lewis Western Michigan University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations Part of the Race and Ethnicity Commons, Social Control, Law, Crime, and Deviance Commons, and the Sociology of Culture Commons Recommended Citation Lewis, Ladel, "Stop Snitching: Hip Hop's Influence on Crime Reporting in the Inner City" (2012). Dissertations. 29. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations/29 This Dissertation-Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate College at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STOP SNITCHING: HIP HOP'S INFLUENCE ON CRIME REPORTING IN THE INNER CITY by Ladel Lewis A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of The Graduate College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Sociology Adviser: Zoann Snyder, Ph.D. Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan April 2012 THE GRADUATE COLLEGE WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN Date March 1,2012 WE HEREBY APPROVE THE DISSERTATION SUBMITTED BY Ladel Lewis ENTITLED Stop Snitching: Hip-Hop's Influence on Crime Reporting in the Inner City AS PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF Doctor of Philosophy Sociology (Department) Sociology (Program) Dr. Douglas Davidson Dissertation Review Committee Member Dr. Lonnie Duncan Dissertation Review Committee Member Date iffiA IaO- STOP SNITCHING: HIP HOP'S INFLUENCE ON CRIME REPORTING IN THE INNER CITY Ladel Lewis, Ph.D. Western Michigan University, 2012 The “stop snitching” phenomenon is a social epidemic that is affecting inner cities from coast to coast. These street politics have an adverse effect on the way individuals in the inner city view cooperation with police. With hip hop culture claiming a larger stake on the global stage, and mainstream artists sparking attention by denouncing cooperation with authorities while reproving others that choose to do so, this research examines if a relationship exists between individuals that adhere to the “code of silence” and self-professed hip hoppers. While much has been written about the significance of hip hop culture on the lives of inner city residents, quantitative research has not been employed to measure how crime reporting is viewed among its followers. Using the culture of terror theory developed by anthropologist Michael Taussig (1987) and Shaw and McKay’s (1942) social disorganization theory, this mixed methods-based research examines how the “code of silence” affects crime reporting in the inner city. Employing an online survey administered through the social networking website, Facebook, this research departs from traditional sampling frames and purely theoretical claims by scrutinizing current hip hop lyrics and revealing if following hip hop culture serves as a predictor of behavior compared to others that prefer other genres as their primary music choice. The results signify a correlation between musical preference and attitudes towards crime reporting, with an overwhelming majority of hip hop fans consenting to collaborate with law enforcement. The specifics of these results are discussed. Copyright by Ladel Lewis 2012 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS “You cannot pay me to stay in school” were the words I ate when I enrolled in the sociology’s department’s PhD program. Although I had a plan, God had a totally different purpose for my life—one that I would not have even dreamed of pursuing. Being the first to graduate in my family with a bachelor’s degree, masters degree, and a doctor of philosophy degree not only speaks to His plan for my life, but also to the fact you can do anything you set your mind to. I thank God for allowing me to complete this PhD and for the blessings and opportunities that are forthcoming. I would like to thank Della Mae Thomas and Otis Jerry Lewis for all their support in helping me become Dr. Ladel Lewis. You guys are great! Look at your baby! My husband Shalom Williams has been there since day one encouraging me to “study” and “stay focused.” They don’t come any better than you! And a special thank you to Quan Bates, my free dissertation coach! I would also like to thank my committee members, Dr. Zoann Snyder (chairperson), Dr. Douglas Davison, Dr. Charles Crawford, and Dr. Lonnie Duncan. You all believed in me so much that you agreed to be on my committee. Also, I would like to thank the King/Chavez/Parks and Thurgood Marshall Fellowship search committees. I appreciate you all! And last but not least, this is dedicated to the loving memory of Mr. Roger Lewis. You always said, “Stay positive.” I hope you are proud. ii And to the survey participant that said, “Thank you for asking these questions, Ladel. It puts into perspective that although there are safe havens—i.e., places without crime—there is no reason not to feel safe from reporting it. It is possible to occur at any place and people must at least know where they stand so they may respond at any given moment.” You are truly welcome. Ladel Lewis iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................ ii LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................. vii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................. 1 Past Research ................................................................................... 3 II. LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................ 14 Inner City Living ............................................................................. 14 Police............................................................................................... 18 The Influence of Hip Hop ................................................................ 23 Snitches vs. Witnesses ..................................................................... 30 Witness Protection Programs and Initiatives ......................... 37 III. THEORY ................................................................................................ 43 IV. METHODOLOGY ................................................................................. 51 Introduction ..................................................................................... 51 Ethical Considerations ..................................................................... 51 Social Network Sites ........................................................................ 52 Limitations ...................................................................................... 62 Benefits of the Research .................................................................. 65 Typology Used for Study ................................................................. 66 Quantitative/Qualitative ................................................................... 67 iv Table of Contents—Continued CHAPTER Participants ...................................................................................... 67 Survey Instrument/Questionnaire ..................................................... 68 Procedure......................................................................................... 69 Age .................................................................................. 69 Zip Code .......................................................................... 70 Race ................................................................................. 70 Musical Preference........................................................... 70 Violent Crime .................................................................. 73 Neighborhood .................................................................. 74 V. FINDINGS ............................................................................................. 76 Other Relevant Data......................................................................... 95 Gender ............................................................................. 95 Zip Code .......................................................................... 98 Age ................................................................................. 101 Race ................................................................................. 106 Musical Preference........................................................... 109 Witnessed Violent Crime ................................................. 110 Favorite Artist Genre ....................................................... 112 Relate to Lyrics ................................................................ 115 Purchase Music ................................................................ 115 Listen Once a Day/Week.................................................. 116 v Table of Contents—Continued CHAPTER Attend Concerts ............................................................... 117 Negative Experience with Police/Neighborhood Gangs .... 117 Crime and Drugs .............................................................. 118 Neighborhood Fights/Helpful Neighbors .......................... 119 Abandoned Buildings ....................................................... 120 Solve Problems Together ................................................