Research Paper about Homicide

In the American Sociological Review, scholars Michael T. Light and Jeffery T. Ulmer addressed the homicide mortality trends among White, Black, and Hispanic individuals. Limited research on this topic encouraged Light and Ulmer to better understand the social contexts behind homicides. Specifically, they sought to understand how immigration, mass incarceration, and economic inequality influence homicide rates. They worked under the assumption that these factors played the largest role in homicide mortality rates. Light and Ulmer drew special attention towards the effects of immigration on homicide rates. Contrary to popular belief, they hypothesized that communities with high immigrant populations had low homicide rates (Light and Ulmer, 2016). Additionally, part of their research sought to understand how neighborhood racial compositions influence crime rates. 

When conducting their research, Light and Ulmer analyzed death records from the Centers of Disease Control (CDC). These records held data from 1989 to 2010. They concentrated their research on metropolitan areas, where homicides are prominent. They used metropolitan statistical areas (MSA’s)  in particular. According to the researchers, these areas “...had a minimum of 5,000 blacks and Hispanics for two decades…” (Light and Ulmer, 2016, p. 298). Additionally, Light and Ulmer used data from the National Prisoner Statistics to examine incarceration rates. They used this information to conduct a cross-sectional analysis among Black-White, Black-Hispanic, and White-Hispanic homicide gaps. These groups were to be compared with one another. These researchers argued that the CDC provided the most reliable sources overall. This was demonstrated in the reliability of race and ethnicity reports in the death certificates they analyzed. Additionally, Light and Ulmer analyzed racial/ethnic disparities in wealth distribution through an “affluence index.” This “affluence index” combined household incomes with education levels  (Light and Ulmer, 2016, p. 299). Finally, when calculating immigrant crime, researchers defined immigrant criminals as “foreign born” individuals (Light and Ulmer, 2016, p. 299). 

In their cross-sectional analysis, Light and Ulmer found that Black and White individuals have the largest homicide mortality rates. They found that residential inequities, drug activity, and occupation inequities were the most prominent factors within this gap. However, increased police presence produced a lower gap in White and Black homicide mortality. The second highest homicide mortality gap was within the Black-Hispanic group. Researchers found that this resulted in “Black disadvantage” (Light and Ulmer, 2016, p. 305). Hispanic violence differences are concentrated in areas where Black/Hispanic individuals experience residential segregation and high incarceration rates.