Topic 4 - Realist Theories of Crime & Deviance

Question 1

Right and Left Realist Perspectives on Crime and Deviance

Answer 1

Right: crime = problem for society –> consequence of biological factors and socialisation factors, focus on deterring offenders

Left: crime = caused by relative deprivation, subcultures and marginalisation; focusing on reducing social inequality.

Question 2

Right Realist explanations for crime (3)

Answer 2

1) (Winston) Biological Differences: make some people innately predisposed to commit crime e.g. aggression and low impulse control.
2) (Murray) Socialisation: adequate socialisation decreases risk as it involves learning self-control + moral values. Murray: Crime rate is increasing due to the growing underclass
3) (Ron Clarke) Rational choice theory: Assumes individuals have free will and reason to commit crime - if costs outweigh risk.

Question 3

Evaluation of Right Realist explanations for crime

Answer 3

• Ignores wider structural causes, e.g. poverty
• Overestimates biological factors e.g. IQ - Lilly et al (2002): IQ differences account for less than 3% of differences in offending.
• Ignores impulsive or violent crime, which may be irrational.

Question 4

Right Realist ways of tackling crime (2) + E

Answer 4

Zero Tolerance Policing: More arrests taken up for minor deviant acts= success
Target Hardening: Increasing the costs of crime e.g. locks, surveillance and other security measures

Evaluation:

• Target Hardening causes ‘displacement’ - the crime simply moves elsewhere - spatially, temporally, target, tactics.
• Zero Tolerance is preoccupied with street crime and ignores white collar crime.

Question 5

Left Realist Explanations for crime (3)

Answer 5

1) RELATIVE DEPRIVATION - (Lea + Young) relative deprivation -> crime because people who are deprived resent others having more material goods -> crime as they try to gain those goods.
2) SUBCULUTRES - many ethnic minorities turn to crime to close the ‘deprivation gap’
3) MARGINALISATION - many young people = marginalised in society by insecure jobs, so become frustrated with their position + can only improve through crime.

Question 6

Evaluation of Left Realist explanations for crime (3)

Answer 6

• Doesn’t explain why w/c people don’t turn to crime despite suffering from relative deprivation
• Ignores other non-criminal responses to relative deprivation such as ritualism/conformity.
• Neglects other factors e.g. gender

Question 7

Left Realist ways of tackling crime (2) + E

Answer 7

Improving policing - Over 90% of crimes are cleared up by police as a result of public info, so need to maintain public confidence in police.
Intervention - Perry pre-school project for disadvantaged black children aged 3-4 offered a 2 yr course with weekly home visits - by 40 they had significantly fewer arrests

Evaluation:

• Focuses too much on working-class crime and ignores white collar crime.
• Left Realism has influenced gov. policies e.g. introducing community support officers.