Realism Flashcards
LR v RR
both see crime as real prob needing solu - come from dif ends of pol spectrum
RR - blame indu - no self control
LR - struc inequals & relative deprivation
RR - solu = order & control LR - democratic policing & reforms for equality
Right Realist views on crime
crime = issue destroying communs & underm soc coh = influ UK & USA
crit other theories for not providing prac solus = too symp to crim & hostile to forces of law
focused on realistic solus / cause - focus on stats
Biological Differences
Causes of Crime: Right Realists
Wilson & Herrnstein (1980) biosocial theory of crime = combo of bio & soc factors
bio difs make some m predisposed to crime - agres, extroversion & risk taking - linked w/ poor soc leads to crim behav
Herrnstein & Murray (1994) main cause = low IQ = bio deter
Socialisation & the Underclass
Causes of Crime: Right Realists
Murray (1990) crime inc due to inc in underclass who = defined by dev behav & fail to soc children properly
underclass inc in UK & USA due to cul of welfare depen
dec in marriage dec respon for fam - no need to work
Underclass threatens social cohesion
Causes of Crime: Right Realists: Murray
undermines values of hard work & personal respon
Lone Parent Mothers
Causes of Crime: Right Realists: Murray
ineffective agents of soc - esp for boys
Absent Fathers
Causes of Crime: Right Realists: Murray
lack of paren discipline & male role model so turn to delinquent role models to gain status through crime
Rational Choice Theory
Causes of Crime: Right Realists
indus have free will & power of reason
Ron Clarke (1980) commiting crime = choice based on rational calc of consequences - if rewards outweigh risk then m likely to offend
RR cost of crime = percieved low - why crime rate = high
Tackling Crime
Right Realists
RR don’t deal w/ cause believe can’t be changed
seek prac measures to make crime less attractive
focus = control, containment, & punishment rather than elimination underlying issue
Example: Broken Windows
Wilson & Kelling (1982) - essen to maintain local areas to prevent crime - any sign of deterior m be dealt w/ immed
advocate 0 tol to undes behav eg prositution, begging, drunkness
police should focus on streets so law abiding cits = safe
crime prev meths should dec rewards of crime inc costs
target hardening inc use of prison sentencing & swift pun to maxi deterrent
Evaluation
ignores wider structure causes - pov
overstates cost/ bens calcs - does this expl violent crime?
views crime as rational conflicts w/ bio social theories
preocc w/ street crimes - ignores corp crime
0 tol may give police freedom to discrim - EMs, youth
results in displacement of crime
Left Realism
create practical solus to growing crime rates
to reduce RR influ on gov pol
Young (1977)
crisis in explan - denial that inc = real - reporting has inc X crime = soc construc X reality
LR say inc = too great to explain this way - m ppl reporting as m crime is happening
Relative Deprivation
LR Causes of Crime
m prosperous today = m crime ridden - aware through media raises expec for mat goods
Young (1999) - ‘the lethal combo is rela dep & ind’ causes crime by pursuit of self interest at expense of others
inc indu causes disintergration of fams & communs by undermining v’s of mutual sup - weakens informal controls - creates spiral of inc crime
Subculture
LR subcul = groups col solu to rela dep
crim sub culs subscribe to goals of soc - where legit avenues = blocked - these groups result to crime
Marginalisation
lack clear goals & orgs to rep their interests
unemployed = marginalised - no goals / orgs just frust & resentment - express through crim means - violence X pol means
Policing & Control
Kinsey Lea & Young (1986) - police clear up rates = too low to act as deterrent - spend too little time investigating crime
police depend on public to provide info (90% reported by public) - police losing sup in innner cities & EM & young - must be m accountable to local communs = improve commun relas & changing priorities - over policing drug crime under policing racial crime
Structural Causes
cause = unequal soc struc
must deal w/ inequal oppur, discrim, & provide decent jobs, improve housing & be m tolerant of diversity
LR & Gov Policy
sim to New Labour - tough on crime & cause of crime
NL firmer approach to hate crime, sexual assualt, dv & introed ASBOs to protect vul
new deal for unemploy youth attempts to reserve exclu for those at greatest risk of offen
However
Left Realists
Young sees these pols as doomed attempts to recreate the ‘golden age’ of the 1950s - New Deal has not led to permenant jobs & ASBOs have become a badge of honor for disillusioned youth - address symptoms X causes
Evaluation Left Realists
Milocanovic (1996) - accepts gov def of crime being street crime by poor - ignores corp crime
interacs - use quan data - can’t expl motives of offens
use of sub cul theory means assume = VC & crime only occurs when broken down
rela dep can’t fully expl crime as not all who exper = crim
