Topic 4 - Realist theories Flashcards
Why did Left Realism develop? (2 main factors)
1 - The need to take rising crime rate seriously and find solutions
2 - Due to the influence of right realism on govt. policy
How do Left Realists criticise Marxist and Neo-Marxist approaches?
- Don’t take w/c crime seriously
- Romanticize w/c criminals as ‘robin hood’ characters
- Failing to take victimization seriously
- Have no practical policies in reducing crime
Who did Left Realists argue are the real victims of crime? + Lea and Young
NOT the rich but actually the w/c
E.g Lea and Young found that in the poorer areas of London you are 4x more likely to be mugged
What do Left Realists believe is to blame for crime occuring?
Structural inequality
How do LR think crime should be reduced?
Greater social equality and a stronger sense of community
What are Lea and Young 3 causes of crime?
Relative deprivation
Marginalisation
Subcultures
What is relative deprivation?
People feeling deprived in relation to others - helps explain m/c crime
What is subcultures according to LR?
Groups which do actually subscribe to value and goals of mainstream society but due to blocked opportunities turn to crime.
What is marginalisation - LR?
Marginalised groups lack clear goals and organisation to represent their interest making them powerless
Express frustration through crime
What are the 2 solutions to crime according to LR?
- Improve the relationship between local communities and the police
- Tackle structural inequality in society
Weaknesses to LR
PM - too deterministic
Marxists - Doesn’t explain corporate crimes/ white collar
RR - Criminals make rational choices before committing a crime
Who speaks about relative deprivation?
Runciman
Is LR or RR more harsh?
RR
What are 2 key features of RR?
Social order is CRUCIAL
Focuses on practical crime control measures
RR 3 causes of crime?
The rational choice theory
Biological differences
Socialisation and the underclass
RR idea of rational choices
Clarke argue that the decision to commit crime is a choice based on rational calculation of the likely consequences
How does biological differences according to RR explain crime?
Biological differences make some people innately more strongly predisposed to commit crime than others
How does socialisation and the underclass explain crime?
Charles Murray argues that the crime rate is increasing because of a growing underclass that is defined by their deviant behaviour
What the RR 2 main approaches to preventing crime?
ECP - Environmental crime prevention
SCP - Situational Crime Prevention
What is Environmental Crime Prevention - RR?
Broken Windows Theory - there must be no sign of any crimes otherwise it could lead to more crimes
What is situational crime prevention?
Reduce the opportunities to commit crime so criminals don’t have the option to make ‘rational decisions’ - More surveillance, more police etc.
AO2 - The port authority bus terminal
Felson - The toilets and area was a setting for luggage thefts and drug dealing so the place was reshaped to design out crime
Evaluation of RR
- Ignore the wider structural causes such as poverty/capitalism
- Ignores corporate crime
