Right realism Flashcards
How do realism theories differ from labelling theory?
Labelling sees crime as socially constructed - realists see crime as a real problem, especially for its victims and they propose practical policies to reduce crime
What are Right Realists approaches?
- Share a conservative view, New Right political outlook
- ‘zero tolerance’
- Reject the idea that structural factors such as poverty causes crime
What is Biological Differences?
Wilson and Hernstein - crime is caused by a combination of biological and social factors e.g. heightened aggression or low intelligence
Biological differences A03
- Unlike many other perspectives, Right Realism has had a genuine effect on government responses to crime e.g. David Cameron’s response to the 2011 riots
What are the 4 Right realist explanations of crime?
- Biological differences
- Inadequate socialisation
- Rational choice theory
- Routine Activity Theory
What is Inadequate socialisation (Murray)?
Nuclear family is being undermined by the welfare state
- Creates a dependency culture
- These people form an underclass and fail to socialise their children into shared norms and values
Inadequate socialisation A03
Marxism -> crimogenic capitalism
- it isn’t family that causes crime but class, due to exploitation and inequality on the working class
What is Rational Choice theory (Clarke)?
Individuals are rational beings with free will
- deciding to commit crime is a choice based on rational calculation
- if the rewards of the crime outweigh the consequences, people are likely to offend e.g. little risk of being caught and lenient punishments
Rational choice theory A03
may explain some utilitarian crime but doesn’t explain violent crime
What is Routine Activity Theory (Felson)?
for crime to occur, there must be a motivated offender, a suitable target and the absence of a ‘capable guardian e.g. neighbour or police
What are the two Right Realist solutions to reduce crime and deviance
- Zero Tolerance policing
- ZTP - Broken Windows
What is Zero Tolerance policing?
- Police should focus on controlling the streets so law-abiding citizens feel safe
- Cracking down on minor deviance such as begging and prostitution to create an environment where the community knows law and order is taken seriously
Example of Zero Tolerance policing
California - 3 strikes = 25 years in prison
Zero Tolerance policing A03
Marxists - ignores crime of the wealthy, police are selectively enforcing the law and punishing the WC’s serverely for crime as their crime is much easier to observe than complex corporate crime of the RC’s
What is Broken Windows?
Wilson and Kelling - must keep neighbourhoods orderly to prevent crime taking hold - any sign of deterioration must be dealt with immediately to send the message that deviance will not be tolerated
When was this broken windows approach previously used?
New York city in late 1980’s to early 1990’s - successfully reduced the crime rate of low level and professional crime
Broken Windows A03
Labelling theory - local communities and individuals are targeted based on the stereotypical assumptions the police have about who commits these ‘anti-social’ crimes of drug taking, vandalism and graffiti
Target Hardening
Making the consequence much higher for all crime to prevent crime as people are less Motivated to commit the crime.
Target Hardening AO3:
This results in the displacement of crime rather than preventing it.
