New cultures, new laws : perceptions of Nigerians in Winnipeg about Canadian laws and criminal justice system
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Date
2007
Authors
Oriola, Temitope Babatunde
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Abstract
This study examines perceptions of a select sample of Nigerians in Winnipeg about Canadian laws and criminal justice system. The study is guided by a theoretical framework drawn from postcolonial theory and legal pluralism. Its methodology combines the qualitative richness of in-depth interviews and quantitative measures engendered by a combination of closed-ended and open-ended survey questions. One fundamental finding of the study is that totalizing, generalizing or homogenizing the experience of "Blacks" and "Blackness" is not only theoretically misleading, but also ontologically barren. The results indicate mixed perceptions about the justice system and a tendency to relate questions on agents of the criminal justice system with issues of employment and previous experiences in other spheres of daily life. Unofficial forms of ordering among subjects are uncovered as well as a strong indication of occupying an "interstitial" or "in-between" space (Bhabha, 1994). The study offers recommendations for policy makers and future research.