Realism and Crime Flashcards
What is the main Right realist view of crime?
sees crime as a real and growing problem that destroys communities, undermines social cohesion and threatens societies work ethic.
What are right realists most concerned to provide
Realistic solutions to crime reduction.
For right realists, crime is the product of what three factors?
Biological differences, socialisation and the underclass and the rational choice to offend.
What right realist put forward a biosocial theory of criminal behaviour (biological differences)?
Wilson and Hernstein 1985
Explain Wilson and Hernstein’s 1985 theory of biological differences?
biological differences between individuals make some people innately more strongly predisposed to commit crime than others.
Give an example of biological differences, that put some people at greater risk of offending
Personality traits such as aggressiveness, extroversion and low impulse control put some people at greater risk of offending.
What is the best agent of socialisation according to right realists
The nuclear family
What right realist claims crime rate is increasing due to a growing underclass who fail to adequately socialise their children.
Charles Murray 1990
Describe Murrayt’s explanation for the increased crime rate (RIGHT REALISM)
the welfare states ‘generous revolution’ has led to the growth of lone parent families. Murray claims lone mothers are ineffective socialising agents, absent fathers mean boys lack paternal discipline. As a result young males turn to delinquent role models in the street, gaining status through crime.
Who is the main right realist rational choice theorist?
Ron Clarke 1980
What does rational choice theorist Ron Clarke argue the main explanation of crime.
the decision to commit crime is as a choice based on rational calculation of the likely consquences.
Right realist, Felsons 2002 routine activity theory:
for crime to occur, there must be a motivated offender, a suitable target, and the absence of a “capable guardian”
What are some criticisms AO3 if the right realist explanation of the causes of crime.
- ignores wider structural causes (poverty )
- Overstates offenders rationality, how far they make cost-benefit calculations, while this may explain utilitarian crime, does not explain impulsive or violent crime.
- Over-emphasises biological factors- Lilly et al 2002, IQ differences account for less than 3% of differences in offending.
Right Realist view on tackling crime
Seek practical measures to make crime seem less attractive. Control, containment and punishment rather than rehabilitating.
What is the main right realist method for tackling crime
Zero-tolerance policing
Wilson and Kellings 1982 article Broken Windows, supporting zero-tolerance policing..
essential to maintain orderly character of neighbourhoods to prevent crime. Any signs of deterioration, vandalism, graffiti must be dealt with immediately.
when was zero-tolerance policing first introduced?
New York 1994
What does Young 2011 argue on zero-tolerance policing success
its ‘success’ was a myth peddled by politicians and police keen to take the credit for the falling rates of crime, even though this was already occurring prior.
A03 of Right realist ‘Zero-tolerance’ policing
-Preoccupied with petty street crime, ignores more costly and harmful corporate crime.
- leads to displacement of crime to other areas
- gives police free-reign to discriminate against minorities, youth, the homeless and others
Left Realist Main views.
Reformist sociologists, believe in gradual change. Believe we need explanations of crime that will lead to practical strategies for reducing it.
What other sociologists do left realists accuse of not taking crime seriously
Marxists, neo-marxits and labelling theorists.
Aetiological Crisis Young 2011
increase in crime from 1950s, especially w/c crime. Led to a crisis in explanation, for theories of crime.
How do left realists criticise Neo-marxists?
They romanticise w/c criminals as latter-day robin hoods, stealing from the rich as an act of political resistance to capitalism. In fact w/c criminals mostly victims w/c people not the rich.
How do left realists criticise Labelling-theorists
Labelling theorists see w/c criminals as victims of discriminatory labelling by social control agents. LR argue this neglects the real victims of crime.
What three related causes of crime do Left realists Lea and Young 1984 identify
Relative deprivation, Subcultures and marginalisation
Describe the Relative deprivation explanation of crime , left realism
people can resent to others for having unfairly more than them, which can lead to crime to obtain what they feel entitled too.
Young 1999 Relative deprivation explanation
“a lethal combination is relative deprivation and individualism”, this causes crime by encouraging the pursuit of self-interest at the expense of others.
For left realists what is the increasing individualisation causing
the disintegration of families and communities, by undermining the values of mutual support and selflessness. This weakens the informal controls, creating a spiral of antisocial behaviour, aggression and crime.
For left-realists what is a subculture ?
a groups’ collective solution to the problem of relative deprivation
What is Webers “theodicy of dispriveledge” LEFT REALISM
some turn to religion for spiritual comfort, which may offer conformity
Ken Pryce 1979 study on Black community In Bristol on positive subcultures (can be an A03 against criminal subcultures)LEFT REALISM
these included the “Saints” or pentecostal churhgoers, a hard working, law abiding group whose collective self- help aided them in coping with life in a racist society.
left realism- Young 2002 on subcultures as an explanation of crime
in USA there are neighbourhoods where there is ‘full immersion in the American Dream; a culture hooked on GUCCI, BMW, Nikes”. Opportunities to achieve these goals are legitimately blocked, so they resort to street crime.
Marginalisation explanation for crime, LEFT REALISM
marginalised groups lack clear goals, and organisation to represent their interests, jus a sense of frustration and resentment, which can be expressed through criminal means.
Who argues we are now living in a stage of late modern society, where instability, insecurity and exclusion make the problem of crime worse?
Young 2002
Young notes the growing contrast of ……… and ………. as a source of relative deprivation
cultural exclusion and economic exclusion.
How are reactions to crime also changing in late modern society
society is more diverse, hence there is less public consensus on the right and wrong, this boundary becomes blurred. The informal controls also become less effective as families and communities disintegrate.
What is late modern society in relation to crime
A high-crime society with a low tolerance for crime.
Young and a Second Aetiological crisis 2011
crime rates have fallen since mid-1990s, which suggests crime is no longer the major threat realists had originally claimed.
C- However, Young notes as crime is a social construction it may continue to be seen as a problem. EG Crime Survey ENG AND WALES 2019. 81% though crime had risen not fallen in last 10 years.
what do lea and young 1986 argue about tackling crime
the police clear up is too Low to act as a deterrent to crime. the public must become more involved in determining polices priorities and style of policingg,
What is the left realists main way of tackling crime
a multi agency approach
what do left realists argue is an ineffective way of tackling crime, which isolates communities.
military policing
What is a multi-agency approach LEFT REALISM
Many agencies working together to change the priorities of policing, and improve public relationships, involving them in making policing policy
A03 of Left realism
- unrepresentative view, focusing on high crime inner-city areas.
- Interactionists- as left realists rely on quantitative data from victim surveys, they cannot explain offenders motives,
- Accepts the authorities definition of crime as being street crime committed by the poor, instead of defining the problem of hoe powerful groups do harm to the poor. Marxists argue this fails to explain corporate crime, which is much more harmful.
What are right realists
Neo-conservatives
What are left realists
Reformist Sociologists
What do right realists prioritise
Social order achieved through a tough stance against offenders
what do left realists prioritise
Justice, achieved through democratic policing, and reforms to create greater inequality
