THEORIES OF CRIME - REALISM

Question 1

realist criminology accepts…

Answer 1

typical criminal in police recorded figures even if flawed it does represent real crime

Question 2

what do realist criminologists challenge?

Answer 2

traditional theories e.g. func, marx, fem for being too idealistic

Question 3

realist criminology focuses on what?

Answer 3

problems caused by crime on victims in society

traditional theories need to offer practical solutions to address crime

Question 4

what is the different between left and right realism?

Answer 4

left focuses on social injustice and ineq, whereas right blames individuals and focuses on solutions to control

Question 5

what 3 sociologists must we remember for right realism?

Answer 5

Wilson
Wilson and Kelling
Wilson and Hernstein

Question 6

Wilson challenges mainstream criminology and suggests crime can be accounted for by 3 factors…

Answer 6

1 - young males most likely to commit crime, as they are aggressive and have short-term prospects
2 - changes to benefits and costs in crime e.g. economy and unemployment
3 - social and cultural changes such as fam, edu, religion that influence norms and values

Question 7

Wilson says that these factors in crime are uncontrollable and governments cannot prevent crime and it can only be addressed by…..

Answer 7

enforcing the law so the thought of punishment stops them from committing crime

Question 8

how can social order be maintained according to Wilson?

Answer 8

police can visibly clamp down on crime, leading to more people reporting crime and being involved in informal social control

Question 9

Wilson and Kelling said crime will happen more due to ….. leading to their ‘Broken Windows’ theory

Answer 9

criminal culture, where crime will cause community to change behaviour, stay indoors leading no one to challenge crime causing urban decay such as ‘Broken Windows’ where good people will move away and criminality will flourish

Question 10

Wilson and Herrnstein emphasise the…

Answer 10

biological element to criminal behaviour that will be heightened if they lack socialisation

Question 11

where do Wilson and Herrnstein believe criminal trends can be stopped?

Answer 11

when people are in a strong nuclear family, as right N+V are rought

Question 12

where do Wilson and Herrnstein believe proper socialisation is not provided?

Answer 12

single parent families or those that lack a commitment to society’s N+V

Question 13

what is the main challenge towards right realism?

Answer 13

too much focus

on the failures in social control and punishment

Question 14

what sociologists criticises right realism?

Answer 14

Young who says that deviance and control cannot be studied independently of each other and they are part of the same equation

Question 15

what do left-realists argue about left thinkers?

Answer 15

accept white-collar crime and corporate crime, but feel they are overexaggerated by left thinkers and don’t pay attention to any other crime

Question 16

what do left realists focus on?

Answer 16

focus on street crime and the fear surrounding it

Question 17

who made the square of crime?

Answer 17

Matthews and Young

Question 18

what is the square of crime a reminder of?

Answer 18

reminder to criminologists that crime arises at an intersection

Question 19

what should understanding of the roles of the victim and offender be put with?

Answer 19

understanding of the role of public opinion and informal control through media, peers, fam etc

Question 20

what is the fourth element of the square of crime?

Answer 20

state which is formal agencies of social control such as gov, police, CJS

Question 21

what two elements of the square of crime intersect?

Answer 21

state and informal control as public can influence government policy and police practice and vice versa

Question 22

what did Young find about society?

Answer 22

we are in an ‘exclusive society’

Question 23

what did Young develop ideas about?

Answer 23

relative deprivation and said that society excludes people

Question 24

what does the exclusive society lead to?

Answer 24

the breakdown of communities and families -> an increase of crime -> fear and scapegoating -> more divisions

Question 25

what does Young think comes from the right wing?

Answer 25

society that is becoming less tolerant and people acting more harshly to those who are excluded

Question 26

what tends to happen to the disadvantaged in the exclusive society?

Answer 26

get blamed from crim activity -> fear -> more divisions

Question 27

what are left realists challenged for?

Answer 27

lack of evidence on the motives of offenders
views similar to radical criminology
solutions such as stopping inequality are seen as unrealistic