Right realism Flashcards
In general what do Realist believe about crime?
- very real problem
- w/c are both perpetrator and victim
- we need practical policies to tackle crime
What do right realists believe are the main causes of crime?
- the welfare state
- the breakdown in informal and formal social controls
who are right realists associated with and who do they influence?
- the new right
- RR influence home office policies
what do right realists believe about street crime?
- real and growing problem
- destroys communities
- undermines social cohesion
- threatens societies work ethic
what theories do right realists criticize
- labeling theories and critical criminology
- they’re too sympathetic to criminals
- they’re too hostile to the forces of law and order
how do right realists say we need to tackle crime?
- control
- containment
- punishment
what are the 2 right realist causes of crime?
- rational choice theory
- socialisation and the underclass
- biological differences
describe the rational choice theory
- Wilson
- p’s are selfish and commit crime if they think they can get away w/ it
- p asses the risk of getting caught prior
- they make a rational choice
describe socialisation and underclass
- Murray
- breakdown of institutions e.g family and over generous welfare state = inadequate socialisation
- lack of male role model = boys turn to delinquent role models
- increases crime
what are ways of tackling crime?
- CCTV
- guards / security dogs
- light and sound timers
- limit number of p’s in shop at once
- security alarms
- motion sensor lights
what are the right realist solutions to preventing crime and deviance?
- target hardening
- zero tolerance
what is target hardening and how does it prevent crime?
- make it more difficult to commit crime
- e.g more alarms / increased surveillance
- reduces crime
what is zero tolerance and how does it reduce crime?
- police clamp down on first signs of criminal activity
- prevents minor crimes getting bigger
- based on Wilson’s broken window theory:
- if a single window is left broken a whole area cam deteriorate
what are an example of zero tolerance?
London Olympics 2012:
- operation Trafalgar
- clamp down on crimes before Olympics
how do functionalists agree with right realists?
Durkheim:
- not everyone is equally socialised
- so some p’s are prone to deviance
agree:
- over generous welfare state = inadequate socialisation
- lack male role mode = delinquency
how do subcultural theories agree with right realists?
Cohen, cloward and ohlin:
- most crime is w/c
agrees:
- sees street crime as most important
- crime is mainly committed by w/c
how does marxism disagree with right realists?
Snider:
- corporate crime is more damaging economically and physically
disagree:
- doesn’t see street crime as main threat
how do interactionists disagree with right realists?
Becker:
- p’s are victims of labeling
disagree:
- RR sees this as too sympathetic towards criminal and too hostile to law and order
how do critical criminologists disagree with right realists?
Taylor:
- crime often has a political motive
disagree:
- RR says crime is caused by inadequate socialisation for personal gain
what are the strengths of right realism?
- provides practical solutions to reducing crime
- solutions for crime has actually been used e.g zero tolerance policing in USA
- acknowledges the importance of community control in policing
what are the weaknesses of right realism?
- doesn’t address wider structural causes e.g poverty
- ignores white collar, corporate and green crime
- ignores that some crimes are impulsive / irrational and do not have any gain e.g violence
describe how biological differences can cause crime
Wilson and Herrnstein (1985)
- crime is cause by biological and social factors
- biology can make some more predisposed to commit crime
- e.g those who are aggressive, have low impulse control, low intelligence
