Intersectionality of Racial Profiling: A Call for a Broader Understanding (original) (raw)

Racial profiling is a form of state violence that has profound and impactful consequences and constitutes a significant social issue. Drawing on intersectional analyses of policing and criminalization, this chapter seeks to enhance our understanding of racial profiling, its complexities, and its effects. Relying on empirical data from Switzerland and Germany, we propose directing attention toward three specific aspects within the context of policing in Europe. First, we argue that the complex and multifaceted instances of racial profiling necessitate an examination of numerous, interconnected forms of inequality, surveillance, and violence. Second, we argue that it is necessary to highlight intersecting and intertwined institutional assemblages that create, support, and sustain policing practices within the punitive state apparatus. Third, we emphasize the importance of acknowledging the differences in both the consequences faced by individuals subjected to racial profiling and their diverse responses to such experiences. By exploring various facets of inequality, institutional dynamics, and individual experiences, our objective is to show how an intersectional approach can enrich the depth of analysis concerning racism and contribute to a more comprehensive analysis of struggles against police violence.