African American scholarship in criminological research published in the 1990s: A content analysis

Abstract

This article presents findings from an ongoing study of the integration of African American scholarship into the discipline of criminology. The focus here is on the presence of African American contributions in theoretical research appearing in criminology and criminal justice journal articles published during the 1990s. Eighteen percent (109) of the 615 articles identified were theoretical. Forty one percent (45) of the theoretical articles appeared between 1992–1994, and 59% (64) appeared between 1996–1998. Fifty two percent (57) of theoretical articles included African American scholarship. African American scholars were included in 51% (23) of the earlier theoretical articles and 53% (34) of the articles during the latter period. These findings suggest that pedagogical reconstruction is underway, but scholars still need to consider the non-traditional perspectives advanced by African Americans.