Left & Right Realism

Question 1

What do realists in general believe?

Answer 1

• Tend to accept the typical criminal shown in police recorded crime figures as they reflect real crimes.
• Challenge traditional theories for being too ‘idealistic’.
• Focus on problems for victims.
• Critique other theories for lacking practical solutions.

Question 2

Who are some right realists?

Answer 2

• Wilson: long term crime trends.
• Wilson & Kelling: ’Broken Window Theory’
• Wilson & Hernnstein: ’wicked people exist’

Question 3

Who are some left realists?

Answer 3

• Lea & Young: Criminal subcultures
• Matthews and Young: The square of crime
• Young: Exclusive society

Question 4

What does Wilson discuss?

Answer 4

• Long term crime trends can be accounted for by:

1. young males (naturally aggressive, have short term prospects).
2. Changes in the benefit/cost of crime due to the economy and availability of jobs which will change the rate at which crime will occur.
3. Social/cultural changes in society through the family, religion, and the media which may influence norms and values which certain individuals are tempted into deviance.

Question 5

What does Wilson say in response to the long term crime trends?

Answer 5

• Poverty is not the root cause as many in poverty do not commit crime.
• Crime can only be addressed by enforcing law. If social order is clearly maintained, individuals will not be tempted to commit crime.
• If the police are visibly clamping down, a culture will be created where others report crime more and are involved in informal social control.

Question 6

Who responds to long term trends in crime?

Answer 6

Wilson

Question 7

Who discusses ‘Broken Window Theory’?

Answer 7

Wilson & Kelling

Question 8

What is ‘Broken Window Theory’ (broad)?

Answer 8

Urban decay, and a lack of responsibility for it.

Question 9

What do Wilson & Kelling discuss?

Answer 9

• Community will change its behaviour in the face of low level disorder by staying indoors ‘not getting involved’.
• This means crime will happen more as no one challenges it.
• This leads to urban decay as crime will start to flourish.
• People will try to move away, and an area may form a criminal culture where there’s little point/time trying to police it.

Question 10

What do Wilson & Hernnstein discuss?

Answer 10

• The biological elements of criminality, and how ‘wicked people exist’.
• Criminal traits in some individuals will be heightened if they lack proper socialisation.
• In a strong nuclear family traits may be stopped as the right norms/values are taught.
• Though single parent families/ those who lack a commitment to society’s norm & values may not provide important socialisation needed.

Question 11

Who discusses how biological factors and upbringing link to crime?

Answer 11

Wilson & Hernnstein

Question 12

Who talks about the ‘square of crime’?

Answer 12

Matthews & Young

Question 13

What do Matthews & Young believe about how crime arises?

Answer 13

• Crime arises as an intersection through ‘The Square of Crime’.
• Any understanding of the roles of the victim and offender must be put with an understanding of the role of public opinion and informal social control (media, family community, and peers).

Question 14

What includes ‘the square of crime’?

Answer 14

• Criminal Justice System
• Criminal Offender
• General Public
• Victim of crime

Question 15

Who talks about the ‘exclusive society’?

Answer 15

Young

Question 16

What does Young discuss?

Answer 16

• Relative deprivation and social exclusion lead to a breakdown of families/communities, causing crime.
• This leads to fear and scapegoating meaning more divisions, creating a less tolerant society where people react harshly.
• People who are alienated tend to be blamed for criminality making people fear them more, creating further divisions between groups in society.
  Idea of an ’exclusive society’.

Question 17

What do Lea & Young discuss?

Answer 17

• How deviance is due to society’s control.

1. Relative deprivation: media allows youths to compare themself to adults. They feel deprived from freedom and money.
2. Marginalisation: Youths lack power, rights, and respect so are more likely to feel marginalised and lack the ability to voice frustrations.
3. Subculture: These feelings may lead them to form subcultures to express their frustration.

Question 18

What do left realists believe?

Answer 18

• Challenge narrow view of crime and consider white collar crime and global crime as well as street crime.
• Focus more on social injustices, inequalities, and relationships between the police.

Question 19

What do right realists believe?

Answer 19

• Focus almost exclusively on ‘street crime’.
• Put blame on individuals.