Realism and crime

Question 1

what do left and right realists agree on

Answer 1

• crime is a real problem to be tackled
• other theories give unrealistic solutions to crime
• concerned with wide spread fear of crime and the impact of crime on victims

Question 2

what do right realists think

Answer 2

they share the new right or neo-conservative view and support the police

Question 3

what do left realists think

Answer 3

they’re socialists and favour different policies for reducing crime

Question 4

right realist key assumptions

Answer 4

originated in 1970s by James Q. Wilson and Ernst van den Haag
crime is a growing issue that undermines social cohesion and destroys social communities
negative view of human nature ( people are selfish and greedy)
this aspect of human nature needs to be subject to social controls and socialised into appropriate behaviour

Question 5

explain right realist: causes of crime

Answer 5

• individual biological differences
• underclass theory (inadequate socialisation)
• rational choice theory

Question 6

biological differences as a cause of crime

Answer 6

people are born with a predisposition towards crime, without proper socialisation they will be criminals
see low intelligence as the main cause
they recognise choice and free will

Question 7

bio differences: A02 case study

Answer 7

Brunner et al. (1993) studied families in the Netherlands that committed crimes like rape, exhibitionism or arson
researchers found men had a genetic condition called ‘Brunner syndrome’ which caused low IQ (families had average IQ:85) and high aggression
suggests we can inherit conditions making us prone to crime

Question 8

underclass theory as a cause of crime

Answer 8

Murray and Marsland say crime is committed by highly deviant, immoral, work-shy subculture called the underclass&raquo_space; made up of problem families in council estates who socialise the next gen into crime
families are headed by single mothers and kids lack a stable father

new right think rise in underclass is due to welfare or state
Murray thinks lone mothers are ineffective socialisation agents

Question 9

rational choice theory as a cause of crime

Answer 9

Cornish and Clarke (1986) say criminal have free will and choose to commit crime
crime is due to weighing up costs and benefits

benefit: money, revenge, thrill, status
costs: prison, fine, re-offending, exclusion

Question 10

rational choice theory > reason for increased crime

Answer 10

Felson argues crime increased because:
-quality of policing has deteriorated
-punishments are too lenient
-community controls are weak (people are scared to report crime)

Question 11

Hirschi’s control theory: factors that deter people from crime

Answer 11

• attachment > fear losing love from family
• commitment > fear losing job, house and standard of living
• involvement > fear losing positive reputation and respect from friends, colleagues and community
• belief > most people have been successfully socialised into respecting others and following the law

Question 12

control theory application

Answer 12

underclass and young are less likely to have 4 controls so are more likely to commit crime

Question 13

A03 right realist explanation of crime

Answer 13

biological differences > conflicting explanation as it states we are free agents but are also predisposed to crime
Lilly et al (2002) found IQ differences account for less than 3% of differences in offending

rational choice theory > postmodernists say crime is not rational and is irrational and spontaneous ( eg a drunken fight is not rational)

underclass theory > only explains utilitarian crime and not impulsive or violent crime

Hirschi’s control theory > ignores wide structural causes such as poverty

Question 14

state 3 right realist strategies to tackling crime

Answer 14

target hardening
surveillance
neighbourhood watch schemes

Question 15

explain broken windows theory

Answer 15

Wilson: minor signs of neglect lead to disorder
people know the community is not taken care of
fixing them will reduce crime

Question 16

explain zero-tolerance policy

Answer 16

involves punishing minor crimes (eg: graffiti, littering)
creates a situation where less crime is possible

Question 17

explain right realist solutions to crime

Answer 17

responsible parenting
‘active citizens’ who challenge anti-social behaviour
tough punishment > heavy fines, longer sentences, advocation of corporal punishment and death penalty

Question 18

AO3 for right realist strategies

Answer 18

zero tolerance has been a successfully adopted policy in New York

some argue that lack of investment in deprived areas causes crime and not anti-social behaviour

Marxists argue that focusing on minor offences means serious crimes and m/c crime gets ignored

it’s influential on gov policy in the USA and UK

some argue that zero tolerance only displaces crime to other communities

Question 19

left realist assumptions

Answer 19

Lea and Young aimed to explain street crime committed by black and white youth in w/c areas

we need explanations that lead to practical strategies

see society as unequal and think crime has an economic factor

they use victim surveys (eg surveys showed that in inner city areas, lower w/c black and asian people were most likely to be victims of ordinary crime like street crime and burglary)

Question 20

state the 3 left realist origins of crime

Answer 20

relative deprivation
marginalisation
subcultures

Question 21

explain relative deprivation

Answer 21

deprivation felt when people compare their situation with that of others

they suggest anyone can feel relatively deprived

relative deprivation + individualism leads to crime

Question 22

explain marginalisation

Answer 22

the process by which certain groups find themselves on the edge of society

Marginal groups lack both clear goals and organisations to represent their interests

eg: group[s like workers have clear goals (better pay) and unions to share their views so they dont need to turn to crime
unemployed youth have no clear goals and no one to support them and as a result they turn to crime

Question 23

explain subcultures

Answer 23

relative deprivation + marginalisation leads to subcultures
people with similar frustrations come together and form deviant subcultures

the subcultures are similar to society as they both place high value on material wealth > shows crime is due to the economic structure of society

Question 24

AO2: ethnicity and crime

Answer 24

Lea and Young:
there has been an increase in crime committed by black youth
they accept that there is institutional racism and a racist ‘canteen culture’ amongst police

they think black criminality stems from:
-racial discrimination
-material deprivation
-low wages
-unemployment
-strain theory

Question 25

AO2 application to black criminality - relative deprivation

Answer 25

frustration between expectations and reality of lifestyle leads to relative deprivation

young black men have to choose between unemployment, training schemes or ‘white man’s shit work’

Question 26

AO2 application to black criminality -marginalisation

Answer 26

white and black w/c youth are often alienated by: school
unemployment
low-wages
the police

black men face marginalisation through ‘military policing’ (stop and search)

economic marginalisation is transferred to crime

Question 27

AO2 application to clack criminality - subcultures

Answer 27

Black youth subculture has high material expectations and aspirations: money and status symbols like flash cars
black youth is tied to consumption, style and wealth which leads to crime due to blocked opportunities (innovation)

Question 28

AO3 of left realist explanations of crime

Answer 28

focuses on victims as well as offenders to improve our understanding of crime

deterministic > everyone who is relatively deprived doesn’t turn to crime

relative dep and marginalisation can’t explain motive (links to m/c crime)

strength is the recognition of multiple causes of crime

Marxists argue it can’t explain corporate crime which can be more harmful

use of subculture theory assumes value consensus exists and crime occurs when it breaks down > functionalists suggest complex diversity means there isn’t a value consensus

theory over-predicts the amount of crime

Question 29

state 3 left realist strategies to crime

Answer 29

-policing and control
-tackling structural causes
-left realist square of crime

Question 30

explain policing and control

Answer 30

Kinsey, Lea and Young identify issues with policing
police resort to military policing > they do multiple stop and searches in high crime areas
this alienates people (eg muslims)

they think police need to improve their relationship with the public and we should have more of a say in shaping police policy

Question 31

ways to improve policing and control

Answer 31

involving the public in creation of public policies

changing priorities from minor crimes to major crimes like dv and racism

spending more time investigating crime

needs a multi-agency approach involving:
social services
schools
housing departments

Question 32

explain tackling structural causes of crime

Answer 32

we need to address social inequality by being more tolerant of diversity and stop labelling whole groups as criminals

Question 33

explain left realist square of crime

Answer 33

there are four elements to crime:
offender
victim
informal controls
state

Crime by its very nature is a product of formal(state) and informal rules, of actions by offenders, and of reactions by victims and other agencies.

Question 34

Jock Young: socail change and crime

Answer 34

late modernity makes crime worse in a number of ways:
-a breakdown of informal social norms
-less consensus about moral values
-people’ desire for immediate, personal pleasure
-greater uncertainty and instability in most aspects of life

Question 35

explain late modernity

Answer 35

Young describes the UK society as a ‘bulimic society’
there is a culture where consumerism, celebrity and monetary success are worshipped
people on the margins of society get excluded from the ‘get rich’ culture
they are still materialistic and turn to crime to indulge in consumerism