dc.description.abstract | In ethnically diverse societies throughout the world there has been a lively debate about the impact that such
diversity has for society. Proponents of multiculturalism suggest that diversity will contribute in a positive way to
society by introducing new and fresh ideas and perspectives. In contrast, critics express concern that alignment
with subgroups in lieu of assimilating into the dominant culture will lead to conflict, will reduce social cohesion,
and will result in disagreements over conflicting social values (Glazer, 1997; Schlesinger, 1992). It has also been
noted that ethnic diversity can pose challenges for governance and the law (Rose, 1993; Tyler, Boekman, Smith
& Huo, 1997).
In this report we focus on examining ethnic minority groups’ perceptions of policing, crime, and community
processes in Australia. Exploring the nature of ethnic minority groups’ perceptions of police is important, as
positive attitudes to police facilitate the ability of police to prevent and control crime. If police are to be
successful in their duties, police must be equipped to obtain citizen cooperation and compliance. In order to be
effective, police need to be able to elicit compliance from citizens during interactions with police, as well as with
the law more generally (Sunshine & Tyler, 2003; Tyler, 2004; Tyler & Huo, 2002; Tyler & Fagan, 2008).
Furthermore, police rely on the public to cooperate with them, to provide information about crime and community
problems, and to report crime incidents when they occur (Kubrin & Weitzer, 2003; Tyler & Fagan, 2008). | |