conservative criminology Flashcards
when was the return to social economic conservatism?
the 1980’s
who were the leaders of the conservative movements?
Ronald Reagan (USA)
Thatcher (UK)
Mulroney (CANADA)
What are the characteristics of the conservative movement?
pushback against social progressivism
increased militarism efforts
increased anti-leftism
neo-liberalism and increased free-market economics
tough on crime
patriotism, religion, hard work, individual accountability
what’s the biggest focus on conservative criminology?
fear of crime and rising rates + tough on crime rhetoric
the conservatism of the 1980s was marked by?
Moral panics.
what is moral decay?
the idea that modern society is unwilling to punish crime - “too soft on crime” (schools, the CJS, parents) and this results in deviant social attitudes and crime
what is moral poverty?
youth lack positive role models (parents, coaches, teachers) to guide, punish, and influence them
conservative criminology believes there is moral permissiveness/normalization of:
The wellbeing on society: homosexuality (AIDS), violent media, ‘welfare queens’, heavy metal/rap, drugs, abortions, casual sex, birth control, nudity, ‘gangster culture’, satanism, etc.
into the 1990s, tough on crime became the norm. what did that entail?
rising incarceration rates
implementation of MMS
escalation of war on drugs
‘super predator’ rhetoric
broken windows and zero tolerance policing
return to individualistic explanations
in the 2010’s, American were feeling frustration/alienation due to:
economic recessions/unemployment
lack of mobility for working/middle class
America’s diminishing global role
increased political polarization
increased immigration
more political correctness
what did the frustrations of the 2010’s inspire in Americans?
a nostalgia/desire to go back to a ‘better’ (more conservative) past
what did Trumps MAGA campaign consist of?
new standard of conservatism
“law and order” rhetoric
emphasize terrorist/immigrant threats
stop and frisking
privatization of prisons
what are the general assumptions of conservative criminology?
individualistic factors
criminals ‘abnormal’ - not law-abiding
“bad people create bad society”
society needs to be cleaned up
importance of social controls
favours tough on crime
deterrence/punishment focus
how is conservative criminology individualistic?
returns to biological approaches
choice-based model
crime pays - thats why people do it
blames criminals
What is the Bell Curve (1994)?
intelligence is a powerful predictor of economic success, job performance, crime likelihood
