Race, Crime, and Communities to be the Focus of Summer Institute at Pitt's Center on Race and Social Problems

PITTSBURGH--Crime in our neighborhoods and among our young people is a constant concern. Researchers and leaders of social service agencies will gather at the University of Pittsburgh's Center on Race and Social Problems (CRSP) for a full day of discussion on race, crime, and communities from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 29 on the 20th floor of the Cathedral of Learning, 4200 Fifth Ave., Oakland.

The institute will unite scholars with those who work in agencies that deal with crime and its effects. The group will explore how race and crime are related to community drug activity, gangs, juvenile behavior, and social systems overall. They also will review new state-of-the-art research methods that provide better opportunities for collaboration.

Five guest speakers are scheduled, each followed by a 15-minute question-and-answer period. Topics and guest speakers include:

9:10-11:05 a.m.

Community Context of Crime: Ethnographic Studies of Race, Communities, and Drug Markets

Luke Bergmann, senior research associate, Department of Public Health & Preventative Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University

George Tita, assistant professor, Department of Criminology, Law, and Society at University of California, Irvine

11:20 a.m.-12:05 p.m.

Context and System Factors Affecting Race and Crime

Darnell Hawkins, professor of sociology, University of Illinois at Chicago

1-2:55 p.m.

Race, Crime, and Community Response: Measurement of Community Characteristics

Rolf Loeber, Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh

Alfred Blumstein, J. Erik Jonsson Professor of Urban Systems and Operations Research, H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management, Carnegie Mellon University, and director of the National Consortium on Violence Research

3:05-4 p.m.

Future Directions for Research, Policy, and Practice

Jeff Shook, assistant professor, Pitt School of Social Work

Pitt established CRSP in 2002 to conduct research, mentor emerging scholars, and disseminate knowledge. CRSP is multidisciplinary in its approach and multiracial in its focus and is the only race-related research center to be housed in a school of social work.

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