NCJ Number
9787
Date Published
1969
Length
56 pages
Annotation
METHODS ARE SOUGHT FOR ESTIMATING THE RELATIVE SUSCEPTIBILITY TO RIOT OF VARIOUS U.S. COMMUNITIES, ON THE BASIS OF THE 1967 EXPERIENCE WITH CIVIL DISORDERS.
Abstract
THE COMMUNITIES WHERE DISORDERS OCCURRED WERE EXAMINED FIRST FROM TWO ASPECTS - GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION AND SIZE OF MINORITY GROUP. IT WAS FOUND THAT NEARLY ALL DISORDERS, WHETHER IN BIG CITIES OR SMALL ONES, OCCURRED WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE MUNICIPAL DIVISIONS KNOWN AS STANDARD METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS (SMSAS). THUS IT APPEARED THAT A STUDY OF RIOT SUSCEPTIBILITY COULD BE SIMPLIFIED CONSIDERABLY WITHOUT MUCH LOSS IN GENERALITY BY CONCENTRATING ATTENTION ON METROPOLITAN AREAS ONLY. IN THIS VERY LIMITED SENSE, THE TOTAL ANNUAL PAYROLL IN MANUFACTURING OF AN SMSA MAY BE USED AS AN INDEX TO REPRESENT ITS RIOT SUSCEPTIBILITY IN 1967. HOWEVER, ANNUAL PAYROLL IS NOT IN ANY WAY CONSIDERED TO BE A DIRECT CAUSE OF RIOTS, RATHER, FRUSTRATIONS RESULTING FROM RISING BUT UNATTAINED EXPECTATIONS CREATE A MOOD CONDUCIVE TO RIOT AND MAY WELL BE HIGHEST IN THOSE AREAS WHERE ANNUAL PAYROLL IS HIGHEST. THE REASONING WOULD BE AS FOLLOWS - (A) FRUSTRATIONS DUE TO RISING EXPECTATIONS SHOULD BE HIGHEST WHERE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AVERAGE WHITE INCOME AND AVERAGE NEGRO INCOME IS GREATEST, (B) THE INCOME OF NEGROES HAS NOT KEPT PACE WITH THAT OF WHITES, (C) CONSEQUENTLY, OF TWO COMMUNITIES WITH A POPULATION OF ABOUT THE SAME SIZE AND SIMILAR STRUCTURE, THE ONE WITH THE HIGHER ANNUAL PAYROLL SHOULD ALSO BE THE ONE WITH THE GREATER DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AVERAGE WHITE AND NEGRO INCOME AND THUS CONTAIN THE GREATER DEGREE OF NEGRO FRUSTRATION. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)