ac 2.3 + 3.2 - realism theories (sociological) Flashcards
what are the realism theories?
- right realism
- left realism
what do right realists believe?
they believe that there will always be crime and so society needs to come up with practical solutions for this. they don’t think it’s possible to deal with biological differences as they think they are natural and innate
what is the broken windows theory?
this was developed by right realists Wilson and Kelling and it is the idea that visible signs of disorder and crime, like broken windows, encourage further criminality and disorderly behaviour. this leads to an increase in crime rates. however, if it is the opposite and the environment has no signs of disorder, it is said that crime is less likely
what is rational choice theory?
right realists say that criminals make the rational choice to commit a crime - Feldman said that they weigh up the potential risks and rewards when committing a crime
what biological explanations do right realists propose?
biological explanations tend to follow previous arguments that criminality is an inherited behavioural trait and that certain kinds of people are more likely to have these personalities
Charles Murray and the underclass
Murray suggests that in modern societies a new subcultural group called the ‘underclass’ had formed and that these were people in society didn’t share the same norms and values as mainstream society due to not being socialised correctly. Murray specifically blames the unmarried mother and absent father for their inability to raise children appropriate ways which leads to young men committing crime in the hopes of gaining status
strengths of right realism
- there is support from Floodpage et al. he found that families who are in decline resort to crime in order to get by. therefore, this supports Charles Murray’s theory of the underclass for explaining criminality.
- it is holistic. it looks at both nature and nurture for influencing criminality. therefore, right realism gives a more in depth explanation of criminality.
weaknesses of right realism
- limited explanation of crime. fails to explain impulsive crimes as it focuses on rational choice. therefore, this theory is a reductionist explanation of criminality.
- bias theory. overestimates working class crime (‘the underclass’) and fails to consider why wealthy peoples may commit crime. therefore, this is a limited explanation of criminality.
what do left realists believe?
left realists believe that crime is caused by inequality and look at an individuals background when considering why people may commit crime. they believe crime can be reduced by finding solutions to the problems being faces by less powerful groups
Lea and Young
Lea and Young are left realists who proposed three main causes of crime: relative deprivation, marginalisation and subcultures
what is relative deprivation?
this is the idea that some people are more deprived than others (are in poverty, etc) and that they may feel that other unfairly have more then them and so resort to crim to ‘balance’ their situations. media usually plays a part in this as they send messages of material possessions others have that they don’t
what is marginalisation?
this is the idea that powerless groups in society, e.g. working class, have no organisations looking for their best interests. they feel frustrated due to their lack of power which pushes them to the edge of society which makes them feel like an outsider. this leads to them recruiting deviant behaviour
what is subculture?
subculture is a groups solution to the problem of relative deprivation. criminal subcultures are formed which have societies materialistic goals but resort to illegitimate means to achieve them
strengths of left realism
- there is high application. left realism considers reasons for why people commit crime, e.g. marginalisation. if we know why crime happens we can put in preventative measures, e.g. give ‘powerless groups’ an organisation to identify with. therefore, we can improve society by reducing criminality.
- draws attention to the reality of street crime and it’s effects. mainly focuses on those from deprived areas and in subcultures. therefore, left realism is effective for explaining types of criminality like street crime.
weaknesses of left realism
- bias explanation. overestimates crimes of the working class while ignoring the wealthy and why they commit crime. therefore, this is a limited explanation of criminality.
- deterministic. assumes people who live below the poverty line will inevitably fall into crime. therefore, this left realism lacks credibility as an explanation of crime.
