Realist theories of crime Flashcards
What is left realism?
a view of crime that was developed during the 1980’s and the 1990’s. It follows the marxist view of crime, however they believe gradual change is necessary rather than a violent overthrow of capitalism.
What do left realists argue the three causes of crime are?
Marginalisation, relative deprivation and subcultures
Who are the key sociologists for left realism?
Lea and Young
How does relative deprivation lead to crime?
An opposition to the idea that poverty causes crime. In the 1930’w, poverty was high but crime was low. They argue due to the increase in standards of living, individuals feelings of being deprived in comparison to their peers has also risen. This can lead to resentment and hence crime, so that individuals can gain what they believe they are entitled to.
How does marginalisation lead to crime?
Marginalised groups tend to not feel part of society and do not share the same goals. As they do not have their goals represented by organisations, they begin feeling resentful to other groups who do, which can led to crime in order for said marginalised groups to attempt to improve their situation.
How do subcultures lead to crime?
This idea links to Cloward and Ohlin, as well as Cohen. For left realists, subcultures are a response to the problems of relative deprivation. For left realists, criminal subcultures still subscribe to the material goals and values of society such as materialism and consumeris.
How do left realists argue crime should be tackled?
In order to tackle crime you have to firstly tackle the social issues causing i6. This is especially apparent for inequality and deprivation. Policies and strategies should focus of creating a better relationship between the general public and formal agencies like the police.
Who evaluates the left realist view of crime?
Milovanovic
Interactionists
How does Milovanovic criticise left realists?
Left realists simply accept the governments definition of crime being committed on the streets by the poor.
How do interactionists criticise left realists?
They do not explain the motives due to reliance on quantitative data.
What are the other evaluations of left realism?
Assumes there is a value consensus.
Relative deprivation does not explain all types of crime
As their is more focus on inner city crime, crime rates are skewed and it seems like a larger problem than it is
What do right realists believe?
Very similar to the neo-conservative governments of the 1970’s. They see street crime as a growing problem that destroys communities and harms value consensus in society. They are less concerned with the causes of crime and more concerned with practical and realistic solutions to crime.
What do right realists argue the three causes of crime are?
Biological differences, socialisation and the underclass and rational choice
Who argues crime is caused by biological differences?
Wilson and Herrnstein
What did Wilson and Herrnstein argue?
Crime is caused by a combination of social and biological factors. They argue some people are more predisposed to crime through personality traits such as aggressiveness, extroversion and risk taking. This mixed with poor socialisation or lack of role models leads to criminal behaviour.
