*Right Realism Flashcards
What is right realism sometimes known as?
The conservative or new right perspective on crime
What type of crime does right realism particularly focus on?
Street crime committed by young people
What are the three key factors that right realists believe drive young people to crime?
- Breakdown in traditional informal controls
- The Welfare State
- The Police
What does right realism say about traditional informal controls?
They have weakened, undermining the concept of community
How do right realists view the Welfare State?
It encourages dependency and undermines community and mutual support
According to right realists, what is the state of police effectiveness?
Clear-up rates have not significantly improved, allowing crime to flourish
What does Charles Murray suggest about the underclass?
It subscribes to deviant and criminal values rather than mainstream values
What is one of Murray’s claims about the socialization of the underclass?
Parents transmit a deficient culture to their children
What are the three key arguments made by Murray regarding the underclass?
- Long-term unemployment due to being workshy
- Lack of moral values and commitment to family
- Absent fathers leading to inadequate role models
What do Bennett et al. argue about the young criminal underclass?
They grow up surrounded by deviant and criminal adults in a criminogenic environment
What is rational choice theory?
Individuals choose their actions based on a rational calculation of consequences
What do right realists argue about the perceived costs of crime?
They are low, contributing to an increase in crime rates
What does Wilson suggest about legitimate opportunities and crime?
Declining legitimate opportunities and lenient punishments make crime more appealing
What is control theory based on?
Rational choice theory and practical solutions to crime
What four social controls does Hirschi identify?
- Attachment
- Commitment
- Involvement
- Belief
What does Hirschi suggest about younger people and crime?
They have less to lose and may enhance their reputation through criminality
What is the main solution proposed by right realists to reduce crime?
Reduce opportunities for crime and make it more difficult
What is ‘zero tolerance’ policing?
A strategy to deter crime by ensuring a high likelihood of capture
What does Wilson’s ‘broken window’ theory advocate?
Maintaining order in neighborhoods to prevent crime
What does ‘designing out’ crime refer to?
Changing infrastructure to prevent crime, such as using anti-homeless benches
What do some Weberian sociologists argue against Murray’s theory?
They believe poverty is often caused by factors beyond the control of the poor
What do critics say about the existence of a criminal underclass?
There is no convincing empirical evidence that it exists as a distinct subculture
What do left realists criticize about right realism?
They overemphasize disorder control rather than addressing underlying causes of decline
What do postmodernists argue about delinquency?
Much delinquency is spontaneous rather than a result of rational choice
