SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES OF CRIMINALITY : REALISM Flashcards
What is left and right realism
Left realists believe that people who commit crime need help rather than to be punished. They commit crime due to things like poverty and so left realists believe more money should be invested into them.
Right realists believe that people commit crimes by making rational choices. They see crime as an opportunity worth taking for its benefit, so right realists believe these people should get jobs and work if they have no money instead of committing crime. They believe in long, harsh punishments and believe reducing people’s financial benefits and employing more police will reduce crime.
How does right realism explain causes of crime: Inadequate socialisation - Charles Murray
- There is a moral breakdown in society, parents are not socialising their children effectively and are not living in nuclear families (Single parent families)
- There is a growing underclass of non-workers who are dependent on benefits and the state (stops motivation to work)
-There is more opportunity for criminal behaviour and because young boys lack a male role model they are turning delinquent (lack of discipline from mothers)
- Communities are breaking down and deteriorating, which allows crime to happen (BWT - lack of care, minor crimes can escalate)
What was Hirschi’s rational choice theory
Offending is a rational choice:
People have free will and the decision to commit crime is a rational choice based on the likely consequences.
If the rewards are greater than the costs then the individual will continue to behave in a criminal way. If benefits outweigh the risks, people are more likely to offend.
One strength of right realism: Supporting research
Research was carried out based on the rational choice theory. Bennett and Wright interviewed convicted burglars and found that the burglars considered the potential reward, difficulty breaking in and risk of getting caught.
This shows that risk was the most important factor influencing their decision to commit crime which supports the right realist view that criminality can be identified sociologically.
One strength of right realism: Policy development in criminal justice system
This explanation has given ideas for policy development within the CJS. Situational crime prevention policies have been introduced to reduce the opportunity to commit crime by increasing the difficulties of committing them and reducing their rewards, e.g. Target hardening measures such as CCTV and employing security guards increase the the risk of criminals getting caught.
This shows that policy development needs to focus on reducing opportunities for crime rather than simply punishing offenders for behaviour that is biologically ‘beyond their control’
One weakness of right realism: Not all crime is rational
Not all crimes are the result of making rational decisions. Violent crimes are often impulsive, e.g. offenders under the influence of alcohol or drugs may be unable to assess the risks and rewards before offending.
This means that right realists are unable to give an accurate explanation for all types of crime as not all offenders will weigh up the costs and benefits before committing a crime.
How does left realism explain causes of crime: Relative deprivation and marginalisation
Jock Young: crime is caused by a combination of relative deprivation and individualism which is where individuals focus on themselves in the pursuit of selfish interests. This can lead to a lower working class ‘bulimic society’ where they feel excluded from the rest of the population: see material goods consumed by others but are unable to consume them themselves.
Young people often feel marginalised (little/no power to change their situation) and are excluded from opportunities.
Also, negative treatment by police may lead to confrontation with authority.
What can marginalisation lead to
Deviant subculture - think society doesn’t value them so become involved in street crime, e.g. drug dealing and gang violence.
One strength of left realism: Supporting research
Left realists acknowledge that inequality can cause criminality. Research has shown that high unemployment and limited opportunities for working class people were factors that led to the London Riots in 2011 (e.g. looting)
This shows how left realism draws attention to the importance of inequality and relative deprivation as the underlying structural cause of criminality.
One weakness of left realism: White collar / corporate crime
The left realist explanation of criminality fails to explain white collar and corporate crime.
Henry and Milovanovic argue that left realism accepts the authority’s definition of crime as just being street crimes of the poor which over predicts the amount of working class crime.
This means that left realism is unsuccessful for explaining all types of crime as not everyone who experiences relative deprivation and marginalisation turn to crime.
One weakness of left realism: Ignores genetic factors (nature)
Left realism is based on inequality and relative deprivation and it ignores genetic factors from twin and adoption studies.
Evidence from Rhee and Waldman who conducted a meta-analysis of 51 twin and adoption studies shows that aggressive and anti-social behaviour is largely due to genetic contributions.
This shows that left realists fail to acknowledge that nature could also be a factor for causing criminality.
