Perceptions of Crime and Justice Among Armenian and Kurdish Migrants in the UK: An Intersectional Analysis of Gender, Identity and Crimmigration

Petrosian, V. and Bozkurt, S. 2025. Perceptions of Crime and Justice Among Armenian and Kurdish Migrants in the UK: An Intersectional Analysis of Gender, Identity and Crimmigration. 25th Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology. Athens 03 - 06 Sep 2025

TitlePerceptions of Crime and Justice Among Armenian and Kurdish Migrants in the UK: An Intersectional Analysis of Gender, Identity and Crimmigration
AuthorsPetrosian, V. and Bozkurt, S.
TypeConference paper
Abstract

This study examines how first and second-generation Armenian and Kurdish migrants in the UK perceive crime and social justice, with a focus on how intersectional factors such as gender, migration history and cultural identity shape these attitudes. While both groups have histories of persecution and displacement, their experiences in the UK are shaped by broader societal narratives, policy frameworks, and community influences. Using semi-structured interviews, this research explores how perceptions of crime emerge not only from personal encounters but also through secondary sources, such as media portrayals, political discourse and intergenerational dialogue. In applying the adapted intersectional framework illustrating a roundabout of oppression (Bozkurt, 2022), a key contribution of this study is its depiction of how gendered expectations within these migrant communities influence attitudes towards crime, safety and justice, particularly in relation to the role of family and honour. It also provides insight into how “othering” processes resulting from crimmigration discourse (Cortvriend, 2024; Franco, 2019) shape perceptions of fairness and legal legitimacy among these minority groups, as well as the prevalence of intergenerational cultural dissonance as an outcome of broader tensions between cultural identity, legal structures, and public narratives on crime and justice in the UK.

KeywordsCrimmigration
Migration
Intersectionality
Cultural Identity
Armenian
Kurdish
Year2025
Conference25th Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology
Web address (URL) of conference proceedingshttps://eurocrim2025.com/

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