Right Realism Causes Flashcards
Biological differences
James Q. Wilson (1985) put forward a biosocial theory of criminal behaviour. In his view, crime is caused by a combination of biological & social factors.
Biological differences between individuals make some people innately more strongly predisposed to commit crime than others. E.g. personality traits such as aggressiveness, extroversion, risk taking & low impulse control put some people at greater risk of offending.
Similarly, Charles Murray (1994) argues that the main cause of crime is low intelligence, which he sees as biologically determined.
Socialisation & the underclass
For right realists, the best agency of socialisation is the nuclear family. The right realist, Murray argues that the crime rate is increasing because of a growing underclass who are defined by their deviant behaviour & who fail to socialise their children properly.
The underclass is growing in both the USA & the UK as a result of welfare dependency. increasing numbers of people to become dependent on the state & that it has led to the decline of marriage & the growth of lone parent families
Murray argues that lone mothers are ineffective socialisation agents, especially for boys. Absent fathers mean that boys lack paternal discipline & appropriate male role models. As a result, young males turn to other, often delinquent, role models on the street & gain status through crime rather than supporting their family through a steady job.
Rational choice theory
argue that the decision to commit crime is a choice based on a rational calculation of the likely consequences. It assumes that individuals have free will & the power of reason. Individuals who contemplate crime weigh up the benefits of criminality, such as financial gain or increased status, & balance these against the risks such as the chance of getting caught & the consequences if they are.
Wilson, in terms of street crime, the balance has tipped too much in favour of criminals. In particular, the chance of getting caught has become quite low & punishment is not effective as a deterrent if there is little chance that you will be caught & prosecuted
Right realists argue that currently the perceived costs of crime are low & this is why the crime rate has increased
A03
Biological differences: There is very little evidence to support this view (e.g. the ‘Warrior Gene’) & it is quite old fashioned in its outlook. Lilly et al (2002) found that differences in intelligence only accounts for 3% in differences in offending rates.
Socialisation: This view can be said to blame the victims of poverty due to an unfair society. Suggestions that welfare benefits should be stopped to make people less dependent are both inhumane & impractical. This idea also ignores structural causes of crime & white collar / corporate crime.
