Public Attitudes: Evaluating Variables in Relation to Capital Punishment and Harsher Sentencing
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By George Lee,
University of Lincoln.
Focusing on the United Kingdom, this dissertation will explore the punitive attitudes of the British population, particularly regarding Capital Punishment and Harsher Sentencing.
The gap I aim to fill is based on British society, where capital punishment has been completely abolished for 28 years, and where there has been an increased support for harsher sentencing. There is a lack of UK studies that test the correlation between support for punitive attitudes and levels of education, as well as political affiliation, whereas there is a wide range of international studies. Understanding this relationship within a UK framework will reveal how education and politics influence punitive attitudes.
There is a gap in how racial threat, particularly post-Brexit and recent political developments, influences punitive desires. We have seen many protests across the UK recently about immigration because of the fear of some individuals about economic competition and cultural protectionism. Understanding whether this fear can be directly linked to harsher punitive attitudes will reveal how much of an influence race has and if individuals who affiliate themselves with particular parties support harsher sentencing.
The dissertation will propose recommendations for further research, so that we can gain a better understanding of other factors that impact capital punishment and harsher sentencing..
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21837900