Crime - Right realists

Question 1

What sociologists were right realists?

Answer 1

Wilson and Herrnstein, Wilson and Kelling, Murray, and Clarke

Question 2

What sociologists were right realists?

Answer 2

Wilson and Herrnstein, Wilson and Kelling, Murray, and Clarke

Question 3

What did Wilson and Herrnstein theorise?

Answer 3

Bio-Social Theory

Question 4

What is Bio-Social theory?

Answer 4

Young males have higher levels of testosterone which can contribute to aggressive behaviour.

In agreement with Murray, this theory assumes inadequate socialisation is the reason many males from poorer backgrounds give in to these violent impulses.

Question 5

What are the evaluations of Wilson and Herrnstein

Answer 5

• It is correct that testosterone is a big factor in aggression
• No objective evidence that poorer families fail to teach impulse control

Question 6

What did Wilson and Kelling theorise?

Answer 6

Broken Windows Theory

Question 7

What is broken windows theory?

Answer 7

Crime flourishes in areas where criminal damage, loitering, littering ect are seen to be tolerated. A zero tolerance approach to policing is needed to control crime.

Question 8

What are the evaluations of Wilson and Kelling?

Answer 8

• This can be potentially expensive
• This creates tension between police and communities

Question 9

What did Murray theorise?

Answer 9

The underclass theory.

Question 10

What is the underclass theory?

Answer 10

That there is a class below lower class that doesn’t teach impulse control, doesn’t respect police and education ect.

Question 11

How does he apply this to right realists?

Answer 11

Murray said that welfare led to an increase in single parent families. This increases the number of young males growing up with no role model to teach them to control criminal behaviour.

Question 12

What are the evaluations of Murray?

Answer 12

• Scapegoats single mothers as the reason of crime.

Question 13

What did Clarke theorise?

Answer 13

Rational choice theory

Question 14

What is rational choice theory?

Answer 14

That every decision is a choice and is considered before action.

Question 15

How does this apply to right realists?

Answer 15

Clarke said crime is a rational calculation. And that people weigh up the potential benefits and consequences before they commit a crime. Such as things like
- Chance of being caught
- Severity of punishment

Question 16

What are the evaluations of Clarke?

Answer 16

• Overlooks our morals
• Cannot apply to passionate crimes that are not rationally calculated

Question 17

HOW TO STRUCTURE 40 MARKER - explain realist theories of crime and deviance - INTRODUCTION

Answer 17

• Realists accept crime statistics & typical criminals are working class, male, and young.
• They seek solutions to crime and see it as a REAL problem. Previous sociologists fail to actually recognise this and focus on why it happens instead of how to fix it.

Question 18

2 RIGHT REALISM.

Answer 18

• Right realists adopt right wing ideologies
• Have a pessimistic view on human behaviour
• Constraints / strict laws are needed to prevent crime.
• Poor parenting + lack of discipline = crime

theorists: WILSON AND HERENSTEIN, MURRAY, CLARKE, WILSON AND KELLING

Question 19

3) Left realists

Answer 19

• Share right realist ideals about controlling crime, but share marxist views about inequality as the cause of crime.

theorists: lea and young, kinsey lea and young, young and matthew’s