4.3 - Realist Theories on Crime Flashcards
General RR view on Crime
Share NR views & 0 tolerance on crime, threatens SS & work ethic
General LR view on Crime
Reformists & want =
RR - Attiudes to Other Theories
Failed to solve problem of crime to sympathetic to criminal & hostile of police & courts
RR - Practical Solutions
> Control & punishment
> Not rehabilitation or fixing poverty
RR - View on Causes of Crime
> Not due to poverty or eco factors
> But due to biological diff, poor socialisation & underclass, rational choice
RR view on Crime - (KS)
> Wilson & Hernstein (Biological Differences)
> Murray (Underclass)
> Clarke (Rational Choice Theory)
> Felson (Routine Activity Theory)
> Wilson & Kelling (0 Tolerance - Solutions to Crime)
Wilson & Hernstein - Biological Differences (RR)
> Some are innately predetermined to do crime in their DNA
> Programmed to be very aggressive & dumb - + likely to do crime
Lilly - Criticisms of Wilson & Herrnstein
Intelligence diff account for only 3% of diff in offending
Underclass - Murray (RR)
> NF undermined by welfare state, leading to + of LPF underclass w/ inadequate socialisation
> Lack M role models & discipline, key values not taught
> Boys join gangs to get status through crime > supporting families
Rational Choice Theory - Clarke (RR)
> Have FW & choice 2 do crime, if + of doing crime > - + likely to offend
> Current costs of crime are -, so crime has +
> Need for 0 tolerance approach
General Criticisms of Clarke
> How can criminals be rational actors, but behaviour due to biology & socialisation
> Overexaggerates extent criminals make +/- calculations
Felson - Routine Activity Theory (RR)
> Crime caused by motivated offender, suitable target & absence of police & neighbour
> D’s act rationally so P&N likely to deter them
General Criticisms of RR
> Short-sighted ignores wider structural causes e.g. poverty
> Doesn’t explain violent or impulsive crimes
Wilson & Kelling - 0 Tolerance - Solutions to Crime (RR)
> Keep areas orderly so crime don’t take over, graffiti & vandalism needs immediate action
> Police control streets stop drunks & beggars, so law-abiding ppl feel safe
>
- of fines & prison sentences as deterrent.
General Criticisms of 0 Tolerance
> Allow police to discriminate vs EM, youth & homeless
> Ignores CC & leads to displacement of crime in other areas
Young - 0 Tolerance as Urban Myth (RR)
> Crime already - from 1985 0 correlation vs 0 tol & -of crime
> Police use arrests to justify existence, artificially + NO of arrests for minor things
How is LR similar to Marxism?
Unequal society root of crime
How is LR different to Marxism?
> Gradual change is needed > violent overthrow of capitalism
> Marx concentrate on crime of UC, but neglect WC crime & effects
LR criticisms of NM
Romanticise WC criminals as having political motive, but mostly do crime vs other WC
LR criticisms of LT
See criminals as V of labelling, neglects real V’s
2 Aspects of General LR view on Crime
> Main V’s are disadv groups
> Real + in crime
Main V’s are disadv groups - General LR view on Crime
> WC, EM, F + likely to be victimised & police don’t deal w/ crime vs them seriously e.g. Rape or DV
Real + in crime (Aetiological Crisis) - General LR view on Crime
> Crisis of explanation e.g. LT sees + of crime as SC & illusion
> LR say + is too gr8 4 this & real
LR - 3 Causes of Crime
> Relative Deprivation
Subculture
Marginalisation
LR - Causes of Crime (KS)
> Lea (RD)
> Young (Lethal Combination of RD & Individualism & Subcultures)
> Lea & Young (Marginalisation)
> Young (Late Modernity & Worsening of WC Crime & Changes to Crime)
Define Relative Deprivation
How deprived someone feels in relation to others
Lea (Relative Deprivation) - Causes of Crime
> Feel ppl unfairly have + do crime to get what they’re entitled to
> Enhanced by media/advertising
> Pressure 4 material possessions = crime 4 ppl unable 2 get it.
Young (Lethal Combination of RD & Individualism) - Causes of Crime
> Focus on self-gain @ expense of others
> Causes disintegration of families undermines values of support & selflessness
> Weakens informal controls, leads to ASB & Crime
LR - Definition of Subculture
Groups collective solution to problem of RD
Young (Subcultures) - Causes of Crime
> Diff subculture have pos+ solutions to RD
> Criminal subcultures still focus on materialism & consumerism
> Gangs in US focused on AD & items e.g. Gucci etc - can’t get it legit leds 2 street crime.
Lea & Young (Marginalisation) - Causes of Crime
> Unlike groups e.g. workers, unemployed youths are marginalised
> No organisations to rep them & no goals, due to no political means e.g. TU to express frustration
> So do this by alt means e.g. violence
Young - Late Modernity & Worsening of WC Crime
> Due to harsher welfare polices + unemployment & poverty
> Contrast to GA of capitalism w/- divorce & crime rates
> Now unstable family & community life, weakening informal controls
Young - Changes to Crime in Late Modernity
> Crime widespread not just WC, anger towards footballers seen as getting undeserved rewards
> Now RD ↓ e.g. MC resentment vs WC as scroungers, so + hate crime e.g. v asylum seekers
> Lack of consensus over ❌& ✔️+ informal controls ineffective
LR - Solution to Crime
> Democratic Policing
> Reducing Inequality
LR - Solution to Crime (KS)
> Lea & Young (Democratic Policing)
> Young (Criticisms of New Labour)
Lea & Young (Democratic Policing) - LR Solution to Crime
> Police rely on info of ppl but losing support
> Use military policing swamping areas
alienates communities see police as victimising youth
> To win support, need 2 involve ppl in deciding police use multi-agency approach e.g. schools & social services
LR - Reducing Inequality
> Main solution is to tackle discrimination, inequality in opportunities, improve housing.
> Be + tolerant of diversity stop seeing certain groups as criminal
Similarities vs LR & Gov Policy
> New Labour focused on being tough on crime & it’s causes = to LR
> e.g. firmer policing approach on DV, ASB & new deal offered to unemployed youth
Young - Criticisms of New Labour
> Policies are nostalgic attempts to recreate conditions of GA in 50’s
> Criticises record of gov’s only focused on addressing symptoms e.g ASB
> Only been tough on crime & not on causes
A03 - Criticisms of LR (KS)
> Henry & Milanovich
> Interactionists
Henry & Milanovich - Criticisms of LR
Accepts gov’s def of crime as street crime by poor + focus need on CC
Interactionists - Criticisms of LR
Focused only on OS, doesn’t look @ offender’s motives
General Criticisms of LR
> Not all experiencing RD do crime
> Focus on high crime inner city areas makes it appear greater issue
