RIGHT REALISM Flashcards
What are Wilson’s three factors?
- Young males are the group most likely to commit crime.
- There may be changes in the benefits and the costs of crime at different times in society.
- Social and cultural changes in society, through family, media and religion.
What does Wilson argue about these factors?
Are largely uncontrollable, so no government can actually prevent crime.
What does Wilson believe about a criminal?
If a criminal does not believe he will be caught, the punishment is irrelevant to stop them.
What does Wilson state about social order?
If social order is clearly maintained, then individuals will not be tempted to commit crime.
What do Wilson and Kelling argue about community?
The community will change its behaviour in the face of low level disorder, staying indoors more and “not getting involved”.
What can the changes in community lead to?
The development of urban decay and crime will start to flourish.
What did Wilson state?
That ‘wicked people exist’.
Wilson and Hernstein.
Emphasise that there is a biological element to criminal behaviour.
Wilson and Hernstein - nuclear.
In a strong nuclear family, criminal trends may be stopped, as the right norms and values are taught.
Main criticism.
Plays down the causes of offending.
Young criticism.
Deviance and control cannot be studied independently of each other, as they are parts of the same equation.
Criticism - Garland.
Ignores factors such as inequality and deprivation as causes of crime.
Criticism - Lyng.
Ignores the role of emotion and thrill as a cause of crime.
