realist theory - done

Question 1

right realists’ reasons for crime

Answer 1

biological differences
socialization and the underclass
rational choice theory

Question 2

right realists’ biological differences reason for crime

Answer 2

Wilson + Hernstein say personality differences such as aggressiveness make people more likely to commit a crime
Hernstein and Murray say low intelligence is the main cause of crime

Question 3

right realists’ socialization and the underclass view of the cause of crime

Answer 3

effective socialization teaches self-control and internalizing right from wrong decreasing the risk of crime. bets family for the right realists is nuclear.
Charles Murray says growing underclass causes crime as ineffective socialization of their children as well as them being defined as deviant. result of welfare dependency
due to this mothers become lone parents and don’t need husbands to support them as they can live off benefits consequently giving boys ineffective socialisation as the boys turn to alternate role models that can be bad

Question 4

rational choice theory for the cause of crime (RR)

Answer 4

individuals have free will to choose their actions, rational choice theory says that if the gains outway the consequences people will like commit the crime - Ron Clarke
RR’s say that punishments are too low and lenient and risk is to low for crime

Question 5

Criticisms of RR’s causes of crime

Answer 5

• it ignores structural causes such as poverty
• RCT doesn’t explain violence, overestimates how likely criminals are to do cost-effective calculations
• according to lily et al IQ accounts for less than 3% of differences in offending

Question 6

RR’s tackling crime idea

Answer 6

they seek practical measures to deter crime - less attractive. they seek punishment control and containment rather than eliminating underlying causes. there should be less reward and more punishment.

Zero tolerance - any type of deterioration of a neighborhood must be dealt with immediately - Wilson and Kelling’s broken glass article says neighborhoods need to be kept orderly

police should be kept on the streets to make citizens feel safe

Question 7

criticisms of zero tolerance

Answer 7

ignores corporate crime and focuses on petty crimes
it gives police free rein to discriminate against minorities

Question 8

left realism view

Answer 8

gradual change rather than the violent overthrow of capitalism - crime needs explanations that will lead to practical strategies that reduce it.

Question 9

LR - taking crime seriously

Answer 9

Marxists - focus on corporate crime too much, ignores W/C crime, and effects
Neo-Marx - W/C more than likely affect other W/C rather than stealing from the rich ‘robin hood view’.
labeling theorists - w/c are discriminatory labeling victims - neglect real victims, those who suffer from crime

taking crime seriously involves recognizing how is mos affected victim surveys show who is affected as well as showing that disadvantaged groups are worse off - disadvantaged groups have more fera of crime

Question 10

LR -causes of crime

Answer 10

relative deprivation
subculture
marginalisation

Question 11

LR - relative deprivation theory of crime

Answer 11

as living standards have risen so has crime
this theory states how people may react to others having more than them in criminal means as they feel it is unfair - Runciman’s view

people are now aware of relative deprivation as a result of the media - people who cannot afford material possessions may result to crime to get them - lea and young

young - individualism encourages self-interest at the expense of others, LR argues that the increase in this causes the disintegration of families and communities by undermining values

Question 12

LR - subcultural reason for crime

Answer 12

LR see subculture as a response to relative deprivation - some may turn to crime to close the gap between others whilst some may turn to religion - weber ‘an explanation to their disadvantage’

LRs see that criminal subcultures still have the values and goals of mainstream society, as legitimate means are blocked to get these they resort to crime to get material goods.

Question 13

LR - marginalisation theory of crime

Answer 13

marginalized groups lack clear goals and organizations, something workers don’t so they don’t need to commit crimes to achieve their goals

unemployed youth are marginalized as they don’t have employment and clear goals, through the frustration of being powerless they release anger through criminal means such as violence

Question 14

LR - late modernity, exclusion, and crime

Question 15

LR - Tackling crime

Answer 15

policing and control
tackling the structural causes

Question 16

LR - policing and control

Answer 16

Kinsey lea and young - argue police spend too little time investigating crime, the public must become more involved

90% of crime is known to police by the public - this is declining meaning they have to take a more involved stance of ‘military policing’ - swamping areas and random stop and searches - this causes a lack of trust with police consequently they don’t provide info and cause more military policing

police must improve their relationship with communities by spending more time investigating and changing their priorities

Question 17

LR - tackling the structural causes

Answer 17

improve housing and communities
tackle discrimination
provide decent jobs for everyone
deal with inequality and lack of rewards

Question 18

LR criticisms

Answer 18

Marxists - they fail to explain corporate crime which is more harmful
Interactionalists - due to reliance on OS they fail to explain the motive for the crime
relative deprivation can explain crime as not everyone who experiences it commits a crime

Question 19

comparisson of LR and RR

Answer 19

both see crime as a real problem and fear crime as rational
RR blames a lack of self-control while LR blames structural inequalities
RR go for social order whereas LR go for justice