Realist theories

Question 1

How do right realist view crime?

Answer 1

• view crime as a real & growing problem that threatens communities & social cohesion
• influenced by neo conservative governments in the UK & USA
• approach prioitises crime control rather than focusing too much on the causes

Question 2

What are the three causes of crime according to right realists?

Answer 2

• biological differences
• inadequate socialisation
• rational choice theory

Question 3

Who proposed the biosocial theory of crime and what do they argue?

Answer 3

• Wilson & Hernstein propose this theory
• suggesting that some people are biologically predisposed to crime due to traits like aggression, low intelligence & impulsivity

Question 4

Evaluation of biological difference as a cause of crime

Answer 4

• there is psychological research showing links between personality traits & offending behaviour
• ignores environmental factors (social class, opportunity, education)
• discriminatory to link crime to intelligence

Question 5

What do right realist argue about inadequate socialisation being a cause of crime?

Answer 5

• argue that effective socialisation reduces crime because individuals learn self control & moral values
• Charles Murray blames rising crime rates on a growing underclass of welfare dependent families (LPF) who fail to socialise children adequately (boys in particular)
• see the NF as best family for raising law abiding citizens

Question 6

Evaluation inadequate socialisation as cause for crime

Answer 6

• no clear evidence that children from LPF are more likley to commit crime > overemphasises NF others can provide strong socialisation
• stigmatises single mothers & the welfare state without considering other causes of crime
• overgeneralises the underclass > many in poverty don’t commit crime

Question 7

What do rational choice theorist argue about the cause of crime?

Answer 7

• right realists suggest that individuals weigh the costs & benefits of committing a crime
• Clarke argues that if the perceived rewards of crime outweigh the risks people will choose to offend
• Felson’s routine activity theory supports this > arguing that crime crime occurs when there is a motivated offender, a suitable target (e.g. victim) & absence of capable guardian (PO)

Question 8

Evaluation of rational choice theory as a cause of crime

Answer 8

• acknowledges human agency & decision making rather than seeing criminals as purely determined by social factors
• overemphasis rationality > may crimes (e.g. violent crimes) and reactive & impulsive rather then calculated (proactive)
• fails to explain crime by those who have little to gain e.g. white collar crimes

Question 9

How do right realists believe crime can be tackled?

Answer 9

• advocate for practical measures to control crime
• crime prevention policies should focus on making crime less attractive by increasing risks & reducing rewards
• strategies include target hardening (e.g. CCTV) & tougher punishments
• emphasis is on control, containment & deterrence rather than rehabilitation

Question 10

What is the zero tolerance policy?

Answer 10

• an example of target hardening
• Wilson & Keiling article Broken windows argues that maintaining neighbourhoods is crucial for preventing crime > any signs of deterioration (e.g. graffiti) should be dealt with immediately to prevent escalation
• introduced in places like NY which led to reductions in crime

Question 11

Evaluation of the right realists view on tackling crime

Answer 11

• may lead to over-policing and discrimination against minorities, poorer areas etc
• does not address the underlying causes of crime- it just removes visible signs of disorder > explains high rates of reoffending
• some argue crime reduction in NY was due to to other factors

Question 12

How do left realists view crime?

Answer 12

• views crime as serious issue that disproportionately affects the working class & ethnic minorities

Question 13

What do left realists highlight as part of their project of tackling crime?

Answer 13

• an aetiological crisis (Young) where rising crime rates from the 1950s onwards challenged the idea that crime was only a social construct but was real
  s> recognises the real effects of crime on w/x communities

Question 14

What are the three causes of crime according to left realists?

Answer 14

• Lee & Young identify 3:
• relative deprivation
• subculture
• marginalisation

Question 15

What do left realists argue about relative deprivation being a cause of crime?

Answer 15

• Lee & Young build on Runciman’s concept of relative deprivation (refers to how deprived someone feels in comparison to others or their own expectations)
• rising media influence & consumerism make people feel worse off > raising expectations, people resort to crime
• Young > deprivation alone does not cause crime but combined with individualism (pursuit of self interest) this creates criminal behaviour

Question 16

Evaluation of relative deprivation as a cause of crime

Answer 16

• does not fully explain non utilitarian crimes like domestic violence sexual offences etc.
• helps explain why crimes persists in affluent societies where absolute poverty is low

Question 17

What do left realists argue about subcultures being a cause of crime?

Answer 17

• Left realists argue that subcultures develop as a reaction to blocked opportunities similar to theories by Merton, Cohen & Cloward & Ohlin
• some subcultures respond to deprivation through religion as it others a ‘theodicy of disprivilege’ (Weber)
• while others respond by turning to crime as a result of legal routes being blocked

Question 18

Evaluation of subcultures being a cause of crime

Answer 18

• acknowledges that different group respond to deprivation in various ways rather than assuming all w/c people commit crime
• fails to explain why some people in the same conditions do not commit crime > some reject criminal subcultures

Question 19

What do lefts realists argue about marginalisation being a cause of crime?

Answer 19

• marginalised groups lack clear goals & representation
• unlike organised groups (e.g. trade unions) they have no legitimate way to voice their frustrations > can lead to crime as an expression of frustration particularly among unemployed youth

Question 20

How do the trends of late modernity support marginalisation as a cause of crime?

Answer 20

• Young> late modernity has led to increasing insecurity & exclusion particularly for the w/c
• de-industrialisation & a decline in stable employment have worsened economic marginalisation
• society promotes consumerists values (cultural inclusions), but many cannot achieve legitimately despite ideology of meritocracy (economic exclusion) leading to crime

Question 21

Evaluating marginalisation as a cause of crime

Answer 21

• not all marginalized groups resort to crime many engage in peaceful activisms or social movements instead
• explains why politically excluded groups may turn to crime > groups without representation such as young unemployed men may express frustration through rioting or gang activity as seen in the 2011 London Riots

Question 22

How do left realists argue crime can be tackled?

Answer 22

• advocate a multi-agency approach to crime control combining social reform with better policing strategies
• Lee & Young suggests>
• improving policing > more community involvement & less aggressive stop & search policies
• reducing inequality > addressing poverty, unemployment & educational failure to tackle the root cause of crime
• multi agency working > collaboration between police, schools, social services and communities to prevent crime

Question 23

Evaluation of the left realist approach to tackling crime

Answer 23

• difficult to implement on a larger scale > reducing crime through economic & social reform requires significant investment, policy changes & long term commitment, governments favor short term solutions > e.g. tougher policing over addressing structural inequalities