Realist Theories (crime) Flashcards
fill the blanks. realists see crime as a ____ problem that needs to be tackled _______.
real problem
tackled directly / practically
What do ALL realists believe regarding crime?
-other theories have failed to offer realistic solutions the to crime issue
-practical policies must be proposed to reduce crime
-theres been a significant rise in crime rate, particularly street crime
-concerned for the widespread fear of crime + impact on victims
When did realist approaches first emerge?
1970s + 1980s
NAME the 2 branches of realism
Left realism
Right realism
Name 3 key right realist theorists
-Wilson
-Herrnstein
-Murray
-Clarke
-Kelling
Name 3 key left realist theorists
-Young
-Lea
-Cohen
-Cloward & Ohlin
What is the political context of right realism?
Closely match the New Right - neo conservative governments of the 70s and 80s. Thatcherism, President Reagan etc.
How do right realists particularly criticise labelling theory / critical criminology in how they deal with crime?
These theories are too sympathetic to the offender
NAME the 3 causes of crime that right realists identify
1) BIOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES
2) SOCIALISATION (& the underclass)
3) RATIONAL CHOICE THEORY
which right realist theorists discuss Biological differences as a cause of crime?
Herrnstein
Murray
Explain biological differences as a cause of crime according to right realists
Biological differences between individuals make some people innately more strongly predisposed to commit crime than others. For example, personality traits like aggressiveness put some people at greater risk of offending. Also, main cause of crime = low intelligence (biologically determined)
which right realist theorists discuss socialisation as a cause of crime?
Charles Murray
Explain socialisation as a cause of crime according to right realists
Effective socialisation decreases the risk of offending, since it involves learning self control + internalising moral values of right & wrong. For right realists, best agency of socialisation is nuclear family. Crime rate is increasing because of a growing underclass who fail to socialise their kids properly
which right realist theorists discuss rational choice theory as a cause of crime?
Clarke
Wilson
Felson
Explain rational choice theory as a cause of crime according to right realists
Individuals have free will + the power of reason. The decision to commit crime is a choice based on a rational calculation of the likely consequences. If the supply of legitimate opportunities is declining at the same time the cost of illegitimate opportunities was declining, crime is more rational. Offenders act rationally so that there is no presence of a capable guardian
Give 2 criticisms of the right realist causes of crime
-assumes non nuclear families cannot socialise their children properly
-ignores structural causes of crime
- IQ statistics shown not to correlate with crime
Do right realists believe that we should try to tackle the causes of crime?
No, instead they propose practical measures which makes crime less attractive
NAME the 4 crime prevention policies that right realists propose to tackle crime
1) Target hardening (making buildings more difficult to target via CCTV, alarms etc)
2) Greater use of prison
3) Ensuring punishments follow soon after the offence
4) Zero Tolerance Approach( like broken windows theory)
Which right realist theorists are responsible for the ‘broken windows approach’ ?
Wilson
Kelling
summarise the Broken Windows approach presented by right realists
-we assume that no one cares about something that is broken and abandoned, and therefore it is an invite to break it further with no consequences (broken window)
-crime is more likely in neighbourhoods were there is less care and cleanliness
-therefore, to reduce crime, show that you care straight away. fix broken windows straight away. Pick up litter etc
how can target hardening and zero tolerance approaches like the broken window theory be criticised?
could argue that it simply displaces the crime to other areas.
give other criticisms of the right realist view on tackling crime
-too focused on petty crime, ignores corporate crime
-allows police to discriminate against certain groups
-doesn’t try to tackle the issues that lead to crime (structural)
how do left realists criticise Marxists, Neo-Marxists and labelling theorists in their approaches to the crime issue?
Marxists: concentrate too much on crimes of the powerful + neglect working class crime
Neo-Marxists: romanticise working class criminals
Labelling: neglect the real victims of crime
What is the political context of left realism?
1980s + 1990s - reformist socialists. Accentuated by Blair and Brown New Labour Governments.
Fill the blank. Left realists argue that from the 1950s onwards there was a substantial increase in ______________________________.
increase in working class crime.
What is an aetiological crisis? - according to Young
A crisis in explanation.
How was the increase in crime from the 1950s onwards an aetiological crisis?
The influential theories at the time all failed to adequately explain the increase in crime.
NAME the 3 causes of crime that left realists Lea and Young identify
1) Relative Deprivation
2) Subcultures
3) Marginalisation
Explain Relative Deprivation as a cause of crime according to left realists
Although people are better off today, they are more aware of lative deprivation due to the media + advertising. Those who cannot afford material possessions may resort to crime. “The lethal combination is relative deprivation and individualism”.
Explain Subcultures as a cause of crime according to left realists
A subculture = a group’s collective solution to the problem of relative deprivation. Criminal subcultures still subscribe to the values + goals of mainstream society, such as materialism & consumerism. However, opportunities to achieve these goals legitimately are blacked, so they resort to street crime instead.
Explain Marginalisation as a cause of crime according to left realists
Marginalised groups lack both clear goals + organisations to represent their interests. Unemployed youth are marginalised. They have no organisation to represent them, and no clear goals, just a sense of resentment + frustration. Being powerless to use political means to improve their position, they express their frustration through crime like violence, rioting etc.
In Young’s case study of crime in Late Modernity, what are the characteristics of a late modern society that drive people to commit crime?
INSTABILITY (structurally + economically), INSECURITY, EXCLUSION.
which previous theory is Young developing regarding crime in late modern society?
Merton’s strain theory
what other goals does Young suggest individuals are now trying to achieve through deviance, apart from money success?
1) they seek to achieve celebrity
2) seek a temporary emotional release from the anomic frustrations of coping with the usual contradictions & pressures of living in late-modernity.
what are some examples of ways in which individuals attempt to achieve these new goals in late modernity? - Young
-extreme subcultures
-drug use
-binge drinking + violence at the weekends
-one upmanship
what is the second aetiological crisis that Young identifies?
second crisis fails to explain the fall in crime rate since the mid-1990s.
Why does Young argue that crime is a social construction?
Crime may be continue to be seen as a big problem in society, even though crime rates have decreased. For example, 2014 Crime survey found that 61% of those surveyed thought crime had risen, not fallen (wrong).
NAME the 2 policies that governments since the 1990s have introduced to ‘define crime up’
ASBOs: Anti-social behaviour order
IPNAs: Injunction to Prevent Nuisance + Annoyance
what are ASBOs and IPNAs?
punishes low level deviant behaviour and restricts the individual + their behaviour.
what are the 3 main issues with ASBOs & IPNAs? NAME them
1) Blurring the boundaries of crime
2) Subjective definitions
3) Flexibility
how did ASBOs and IPNAs begin to blur the boundaries of crime?
-rude + unsociable behaviour starts to be seen as a ‘crime’.
-breaching as ASBO itself is a crime
-this manufactures more crime
explain the issue with ASBOs / IPNAs and subjective definitions
Anti-social behaviour has no objective definition, it is ‘in the eye of the beholder’. It is therefore difficult to assess if it is truly increasing, as what truly counts as ‘anti social behaviour’
explain the issue with the flexibility of ASBOs
-ASBOs have been used against people wearing hoodies, making a noise, letting off fireworks, begging… etc
-the net can constantly be widened to generate an almost endless number of crimes
NAME the 2 main ways that left realists want to tackle crime
1) POLICING & CONTROL
2) STRUCTURAL CAUSES
Explain Policing and Control as a way of tackling crime for left realists
-Police spend too little time investigating crime. The police depend on the public to provide them with info about crimes. However the police are loosing public support.
-As a result, the flow of info dries up, and police rely on military policing, such as using random stop/search tactics. This alienates communities + causes more military policing.
-Policing must be more accountable to local communities + deal with local concerns
Explain Structural causes as a way of tackling crime for left realists
The causes of crime lie in the unequal structure of society, + major structural changes are needed to reduce crime. Must deal with the inequality of opportunity, tackle discrimination, provide decent jobs for everyone, improve housing etc.
Give 2 strengths of the left realist approach to the crime issue
1) it draws attention to street crime
2) it draws attention to the victims/effects of street crime
3) it raises awareness of deprived groups + how they are more likely to be a victim of street crime
Give 2 criticisms of the left realist approach to the crime issue
1) fails to explain corporate crime
2) rely too much on victim survey data + so cannot explain offenders’ motives
3) over emphasises relative deprivation as a cause of crime
4) focuses too much on inner city crime, making crime a bigger problem than it really is.
