Right Realism

Question 1

What is Murray’s perspective on welfare and crime?

Answer 1

-Murray associates underclass’s with criminal tendencies violence,illegitimacy,educational failure

-believes children growing up without proper socialisation,authority and responsibility are likelier to behave like this

Question 2

What is the impact of single-parent households?

Answer 2

-May lack make role models,boys may join gangs

-leads to a criminal underclass with little respect for the law

Question 3

Evaluation of Murray

Answer 3

Alcock (1994)-criticises Murray for making generalisations about single parenthood

-children involved in crime also come from nuclear families

Question 4

What’s Wilson’s views on human nature?

Answer 4

-negative view.people are selfish and greedy

Question 5

What is biosocial theory? Wilson and Herrnstein

Answer 5

-higher testosterone level in Young males leads to them potentially being more likely to commit crimes

-WC men commit crime due to low impulse control,lack of childhood discipline

Question 6

What’s the Broken windows theory? Wilson and kelling?

Answer 6

-focuses on street crime

-suggests visible signs of crime,antisocial behaviour can attract further crime

-Wilson advocates for a tough approach to crime

Question 7

What’s zero tolerance policing? Wilson

Answer 7

-involves cracking down on even minor crimes

-aims to stop deterioration by setting severe punishments to deter repeat offences

Question 8

Evaluations of Wilson?

Answer 8

Jones (2001) lack of investment is more critical in determining neighbourhood decline

-focus on street crime neglects corporate crime

-zero tolerance policing can damage relationships with communities

Question 9

What is Clarke’a rational choice theory?

Answer 9

-assumes individuals have free will and reason

-decision to commit a crime is a rational choice based on the calculation of consequences

Question 10

How is the likelihood of crime calculated? Clarke

Answer 10

-individuals commit crimes when the rewards outweigh the costs

Question 11

How can rational choice theory prevent crime? Clarke

Answer 11

-increasing the perceived cost of crime
-e.g harsher sentences and increasing conviction rates

Question 12

Evaluation of rational choice theory? Clarke

Answer 12

-overstates rationality of offenders

-idea that surveillance would reduce crime may not explain the roots of criminal behaviour

Question 13

What is Felson’s routine activity theory?

Answer 13

-focuses on social policies for crime prevention

Question 14

What are the conditions for crimes?felson

Answer 14

-suitable target for potential offenders
-lack of a capable guardian
-presence of a potential offender

Question 15

What affects offenders decision making? Felson

Answer 15

-Cromwell et al 1991 found offenders weigh the possibility of getting caught against attractiveness of targets

-more likely to commit crimes in an area they’re familiar with

Question 16

What’s the role of capable guardians? Felson

Answer 16

-crimes are more likely to occur when there’s no capable guardian e.g police officers

Question 17

What’s some evaluations for routine activity theory? felson

Answer 17

-igniters broader structural causes of crime e.g poverty

-theory’s recommendations may be impractical for existing communities