Left and Right Realist Theories Flashcards
Left realism - policy must accept that crime is real and rising
criticises marxists for ignoring reality of crime - says that working class crime is important
- crime has been on the rise since ww2
- fear of crime shapes modern lifestyles (especially for women)
Kinsey, Lea and Young recommends changes in policing policy
- should focus on maintaining good communication between police and local communities
- the police need the public: they provide evidence for crimes that they report, so it’s important that the public have a role in deciding policy policy = consensus policing, police act on public instructions
Left realists: Relative deprivation causes subcultures and crime
Lee and Young - comparison to other people in social groups can make you FEEL deprived and then to crime to resolve this by acquiring the resources needed - explains why rich might commit crimes (they compare themselves to the super rich)
The media advertises what others have and what they want which enforces this
rising standard of living = rise of crime
Left realists
(-) hughes criticises left realists by saying that if left realist theory was true crime rates would be higher than they are
(-) only focussed on poverty crime
social inequality causes crime and must be removed to reduce it
Right realists see 3 causes of crime
(-) no tolerance policy leads to rise in Us prison population - overcrowding
biology: predispositions e.g aggression levels may be higher
lack of socialisation: lone parent families more likely to have criminal children due to lack of correct socialisation
rational choice: people have free will and may choose to commit crimes as the consequences aren’t worse than reward etc
WILSON - solution
make punishment for crime more severe so that rational thinking = less crime
no tolerance policy (american social policy) - also important to fix issues asap (one broken window) to maintain social order
