Right Realism Flashcards
Evaluation of the view that “poverty is not a cause of crime”
❌ functionalist - it ignores all research that shows crime is due to the desire of material wealth
❌ this is not a realist view, it reflects new right ideology
❌ 1930s statistics are unreliable, informal control agencies were active so crimes were dealt with themselves
How do cultural factors lead to crime, according to Hirshi?
Crime and social bonds
🎷 different bonds between parents and teachers = different reported delinquency
🎷 primary feature of offenders is having a lack of self control, due to poor socialisation
What does Charles Murrary say about Lone Parent families?
Birth outside of marriage is an example of the underclass
As they fail to socialise their children adequately, meaning that poor socialisation = delienquent
👸🏽 absence of male role modles means there is a lack of discipline and responsibility from mainstream values
➡️ men who cannot support their families traditionally find new ways to show their masculinity eg crime
What does Charles Murrary say about welfare dependency?
That it funds the underclasses unproductive lifestyle Without the "nanny state" the underclass would be forced to be independent
What two solutions does Murrary put forward?
- Reduce/withdraw welfare benefits
2. Penalise births outside or marriage
What does Cashmore and wilson say about Murray’s view?
Cashmore - quality over quantity
Wilson - there is no evdience for the underclass, murrary replys on
INNUENDOS
ASSERTIONS
ANECDOTES
What does roberts say about murrary?
❌ cannot recognise this homogeneous culture he points out
What does Alcock say about murrary?
❌ these are sweeping negative generalisations about lone parents, most offenders are from stable families
“Criminals reject norms and values as a rational choice”
What does the new right say about the opportunity and choice?
Wilson; rational choice theory
➡️ street crime is a result of a rational choice, weighing up the costs and benefits
Clarke; ease and opportunity
➡️ crime is related to ease, opportunity and the absence of risk
➡️ people are less likely to commit crimes it there is target hardening and surveillance
😩 we should be active citizens, protecting their own and challenging antisocial behaviour
What does felson say?
Motivated offender + suitable target - capable guardian = CRIME
💕 informal guardians can be more effective than formal agents
What are the solutions to tackling crime?
1⃣ target hardening and surveillance - reducing opportunities
- improved streetlights and CCTV
- increase cost of crime
2⃣ Informal Social controls
- police should seek support for communities before it is too late
What is the broken glass theory & who produced it?
Wilson & kelling
Leaving broken windows unamended and ignoring anti-social behaviour = vicious cycle of crime
What social policies have developed?
1⃣ rational choice theory = longer imprisonment
2⃣ communities that had a weak social order and high poverty were challenged
3⃣ “zero tolerance” to increase social control with stricter no-nonsense approach
Overall evaluation for new right?
❌ they see rising crime rates as an indicator of social policies needed
➡️ walklate - rising crime rates shown by official statistics may be due to changes in recording & reporting
❌ they argue economic wealth = crime but this does no mean social inequalities stop being the reason for choice
➡️ gap between the top and bottom has widened over 25years = crime suggests relative deprivation
Overall evaluation for new right? (2.)
❌ they see young males and street crimes as the real threat to social order
➡️ other types of crime may be more harmful eg corporate crime
❌ wilson says “wicked people exist” “set them apart from innocent people by more imprisonment and longer sentences”
➡️ Walklate - this is an expensive measure and there is no evidence this works
