Ronald Weitzer (1976)

Professor of Sociology, George Washington University

In the past 20 years, I have done field research on the topic of police-minority relations in various contexts--Northern Ireland, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and the United States. Although I took no criminology courses at Berkeley (none were offered in the Sociology Dept!), it is fair to say that my interest in this topic originated at Berkeley. First and foremost, I am interested in "conditions of transformation", i.e., the conditions under which racialized and repressive policing in America can be changed.  For instance, racial profiling is not inevitable, and already some progress has been made in reducing it in various states and cities.  I have recently been involved in both city-specific and nationwide studies examining various policing problems, and I expect to continue working on these issues.

A secondary research interest centers on the sex industry, which resulted in my book, Sex For Sale (Routledge).  Other recent books include Current Controversies in Criminology and Deviance & Social Control.

Dissertation Title
The Internal Security State: Political Change and Repression in Northern Ireland and Zimbabwe
Dissertation Book Title
Transforming settler states : communal conflict and internal security in Northern Ireland and Zimbabwe
Berkeley