critical criminology Flashcards
what is critical criminology?
umbrella term for theories and perspectives that challenge the core assumptions of mainstream criminology and provide alternative approaches to understanding crime and its control.
what is mainstream criminology?
establishment, administrative, managerial, correctional, and positivistic criminology. It tends to be narrow, focusing on individual offenders, street crime, and social engineering on behalf of the state
what do critical criminological perspectives do?
reject the idea of scientific objectivity in mainstream criminology, often using interpretive and qualitative methods. They also examine the unequal distribution of power and resources in society
what 3 key publications emerged in 1973 that influenced critical criminology?
- Cohen and Young’s “Manufacture of the News,”
- Taylor, Walton, and Young’s “New Criminology,”
- Taylor and Taylor’s “Politics and Deviance.”
what was the purpose of the ‘European Group for the Study of Deviance and Social Control’ conference in 1973?
the conference aimed to critique dominant criminological traditions and promote a ‘full social theory of deviance.’
what approach did Taylor et al. seek to synthesise in their work?
aimed to combine an interactionist approach to deviancy with a structural approach grounded in political economy and class relations
wat do critical criminologists prioritise in their analyses?
the analysis of unequal power, exposing vastly different worlds associated with various types of crime
what difference do critical criminologists highlight between street crime and corporate crime?
highlight the vastly different worlds associated with street crime versus corporate crime, as discussed by Chambliss (1975) and Christie (1977)
how does political economy influence crime according to critical criminologists?
political economy determines much about how crimes are defined and prosecuted, as noted by Chambliss (1975)
what power does the state have regarding experiences of crime?
the state has the power to ‘steal’ our experiences of crime, as explained by Christie (1977)
what did Christie (1993) say about crime control in Western societies?
Christie noted that a vast industry of crime control emerged in Western societies
how do critical criminologists view social injury?
they argue that social injury is analogous to serious injury, and real people suffer real harms even when inflicted by powerful entities, as stated by Michalowski (1985)
what is the danger of ‘trusted entities’ according to critical criminologists?
‘Trusted entities’ can be far more dangerous than stereotypical criminals, as highlighted by Friedrichs (1996)
what do critical criminologists identify in relation to mainstream criminology?
identify glaring gaps in mainstream criminology that they are responding to by covering various areas that mainstream criminology overlooks
what does the term ‘critical criminology’ encompass?
critical criminology is an overarching name for various types of criminologies and criminological perspectives
what are 3 types of critical criminologists?
- left realism and left idealism
- feminist criminology
- cultural criminology
when did left realism emerge?
mid-1800s in the US and UK
who are the 3 key figures associated with the development of Left Realism?
- Jock Young
- Tony Platt
- iam Taylor
what formal publication is associated with Left Realism?
left Realism was formally expressed in the publication “What is to Be Done about Law and Order?” by Lea and Young in 1984
where did Left Realism begin?
left Realism started in Islington, London
what prompted the development of Left Realism according to Jock Young?
politicians approached Jock Young and John Lea, asking what they would do about crime while they were in power during a time of strong leftist movements in cities, despite the neoliberal policies of the central government under Thatcher
how did the political climate influence Left Realism?
the political climate was very policy-driven and politically pushed, with a strong move to the left in cities like London, Birmingham, and Liverpool, prompting criminologists to address crime more actively
what is a key perspective of Left Realism according to Jock Young?
left Realism takes crime seriously and highlights the awareness of people living in inner cities and working-class life, focusing on the problems of crime in those communities
what criticism does Jock Young express about those outside of working-class communities?
Jock Young expresses irritation towards people living on isolated campuses who romanticise crime, suggesting they overlook the real issues faced by working-class individuals dealing with crime, such as prostitution and drug dealing
how does Left Realism view the relationship between crime and working-class life?
Left Realism emphasises that crime should be understood in the context of working-class life and the specific challenges faced by these communities, rather than being idealised or misunderstood by outsiders
what does the approach mentioned by Currie link serious crime to?
it links variations in serious crime to variations in key structural conditions and policies
what distinguishes the approach described by Currie?
it is distinguished by its activist and ameliorative implications
how did left realists view critical criminology according to the text?
left realists argued that critical criminology had become consumed by the state’s ideological manipulation through the rhetoric of law and order
what impact did crime have on working-class people, according to left realists?
left realists believed that crime was a serious issue that had a destructive impact on working-class people
what do left realists argue about the British Crime Survey?
left realists argue that the British Crime Survey provides an average risk rate that overlooks variations in crime between different areas
what conclusion do left realists draw regarding people’s fear of crime?
they conclude that people’s fear of crime is ‘irrational’ due to the survey’s generalised findings
despite their critique, what do left realists believe about the British Crime Survey?
left realists still believe that the British Crime Survey is a crucial research tool for understanding crime and victimisation
what type of surveys did left realists conduct to critique the British Crime Survey?
they conducted much smaller, local-level victimisation surveys in areas such as Islington, Hammersmith and Fulham, Broadwater Farm, and Merseyside
what correlation did Jock Young highlight regarding social conditions and crime?
Jock Young stated that areas with high infant mortality, bad housing, unemployment, and poor nutrition correspond to areas of high criminal victimisation
according to Young, who suffers the most from crime?
Young argued that people who have the least power socially suffer most from crime
what did criminologists expose regarding the criminal law and policing?
they exposed the political use of criminal law and policing against organised labour in the context of class conflict during the 1970s and 1980s
how did left realists respond to the political right’s stance on crime?
left realists sought to respond to the political right’s hijacking of the ‘law and order’ issue
what significant focus did left realism introduce in criminology?
left realism was one of the first perspectives to focus on ‘the victim’ in the context of crime and victimisation
what was the goal of left realists in developing their approach to crime?
left realists attempted to develop an empirically based picture of local crime and its impact
what aspect of crime did left realists focus on in their explanations?
they focused on causal explanations of crime
what relationships did left realists explore in their studies?
they explored the relationship between offenders, victims, and both formal and informal controls
what type of policies did left realists aim to develop?
they attempted to develop realistic policies aimed at reducing the frequency and impact of victimisation
what do left realists argue about left idealists’ view of working-class criminals?
left realists argue that left idealists romanticise working-class criminals
how do left idealists reportedly view the impact of crime on working-class communities?
left idealists are said to minimise the effect of crime on working-class communities and idealise the proletariat criminal
what accusations are made against left idealists regarding their portrayal of crime?
they are accused of downplaying the level and consequences of crime as irrational fears or moral panics, while simplistically portraying criminal offenders as innocent victims of a corrupt state and criminal justice system
what is the primary argument of feminists regarding gender dynamics in society?
from a feminist perspective, it is argued that men are the dominant group in society
how do men influence the rules and laws in society according to feminist theory?
men make and enforce the rules to the detriment of women
how has feminism impacted criminology?
feminism has critiqued traditional explanations of crime and criminal behaviour, offering alternative perspectives that focus on gender dynamics
what do feminist theories provide in the context of women’s oppression?
feminist theories provide a collection of different theoretical perspectives, each explaining the oppression of women in various ways
why is there not one specific feminist explanation of female crime?
there isn’t one specific feminist explanation because women’s experiences are shaped by intersecting factors like race, class, and sexuality, leading to multiple perspectives
what term do feminists reject to describe women in a male-dominated society, and what do they prefer instead?
feminists reject the term “victim” and prefer the more empowering term “survivor,” emphasising resilience and agency
what is the focus of the first wave of feminism?
the first wave emphasised equality within rational individual rights
what characterised the first wave of feminism in the UK?
the first wave was characterised by the suffrage movement
when did the first wave of feminism occur?
the first wave of feminism took place from the 1860s to the early 1900s
what were the key concerns of first wave feminists?
key concerns included education, employment, marriage laws, and the plight of middle-class single women
when did the second wave of feminism emerge?
the second wave emerged in the 1960s and continued into the 1990s
what significant movement was associated with the second wave of feminism?
the emergence of the women’s liberation movement was a key aspect of the second wave
what type of movements accompanied the second wave of feminism?
a plethora of student movements accompanied the second wave
what did second wave feminists demand?
they demanded the wholesale transformation of society
when did the third wave of feminism begin?
mid-1990s
who primarily powered the third wave of feminism?
the third wave was powered by young middle-class women
how does the third wave relate to the second wave?
the third wave is an expansion of second wave work, focusing on new directions
what was a key feeling among third wave feminists regarding the second wave?
many felt that second wave feminism did not meet the needs of all women
what groups emerged as a result of the third wave?
black, Hispanic, and Third World feminists emerged with the goal of speaking for those who have long been voiceless
what are 4 variants of feminism?
- liberal feminism
- radical feminism
- marxist feminism
- socialist feminism
how has feminism impacted criminology?
feminism in criminology has challenged traditionally male-dominated perspectives
what argument has been proposed regarding theoretical perspectives in criminology?
there have been arguments for the integration of women into theoretical perspectives
what new developments have emerged in relation to women’s lives?
the development of new approaches related to the lives of women has been proposed
what new opportunities for research have arisen due to feminist thought?
new areas of research have been opened up regarding visibility in criminology
how is criminology described in terms of gender?
criminology is described as “the most masculine of all the social sciences,” characterised by a macho attitude
what is a significant characteristic of feminist work in criminology?
a significant characteristic is the critique of mainstream male (‘malestream’) criminology
what main concern do feminist criminologists address?
the main concern is the intellectual sexism in theories of female crime and in the criminal justice system (CJS)
what did Bertrand, Heidensohn, and Klein highlight regarding female criminality?
they highlighted the relative neglect of women in the study of crime and the stereotyped distortions imposed on females in studies that did address the issue
what does Smart’s “Women, Crime and Criminology” (1977) highlight about traditional criminology?
Smart highlights the failure of much of traditional criminology to recognise women
what issue does Smart address regarding studies that consider female criminality?
Smart addresses the sexual stereotypes imposed on women in those studies that do consider female criminality
what two major issues did criminologists fail to consider regarding female criminality until the late 20th century?
- The ‘problem of generalisability’ - whether theories of male criminality apply to female criminality
- The ‘gender ratio’ question - why women commit less crime than men
what did Leonard (1983) argue about traditional criminology?
Leonard argued that criminology was sexist, focusing primarily on men and ignoring a comparative analysis of women
what has been a distinguishing feature of explanations of female criminal behaviour?
an enduring distinguishing feature has been the emphasis on biological variants of ‘the predestined actor model’
what did Heidensohn (1994) say about the development of criminology in relation to female crime?
Heidensohn stated that while criminology moved on from a strict adherence to biological explanations, female crime remained cut off from this development
how were women’s emotions and behaviours viewed in relation to biological factors?
women’s emotions, reliability, maturity, and deviance were often seen as dependent on hormonal and reproductive systems
what link did Dalton (1961) suggest regarding female offending?
Dalton suggested a link between hormonal changes during pregnancy and menstruation and female offending