Week 5: Left And Right Realism

Question 1

Who developed Left Realism?

Answer 1

Lea and Young (1984)

Question 2

Why was Left Realism developed?

Answer 2

As a response to Right Realism and partly a response to Radical Criminology

Question 3

How does Left Realism explain crime?

Answer 3

It explains crime through the analysis of social and economical relationships and analysing how some groups become marginalised

Question 4

How does Left Realism see the origins of crime?

Answer 4

As three fold: Subculture, Relative depravations and marginalisation

Question 5

How does Lea and Young describe the effect of subcultures?

Answer 5

They argue that youth subculture has high material expectations and aspirations, and so the youth being being closely enmeshed is these material goods is why they commit crime; because they lack opportunities to maintain these expectations

Question 6

How does Lea and Young describe the effect of relative deprivation?

Answer 6

They argue that, frustrated from the imbalance between their expectations of life and the reality of it, this leads to young males too feeling relatively deprived. “This can develop into strategies which can involve deviant and criminal behaviour” (Runciman, 1966)

Question 7

How does Lea and Young describe the effect of relative marginalization?

Answer 7

They argue that marginalization often leads to white and black working-class youths feel alienated by schools, unemployment, low-wages and the police, and that young black males in particular face marginalization through prejudice and harassment. Economic marginalization is transferred to crime.

Question 8

What are some strengths of Left Realism?

Answer 8

Any of the following:
Acknowledges victims of crime, Doesn’t glorify or demonises the police and the state, Describes real problems about street crime, Dependant on real sociological aspects such as social deprivation

Question 9

What are some weaknesses of Left Realism?

Answer 9

Any of the following: There’s little that’s new about it – mix of subcultural studies and strain theory, Too much emphasis on street crime – what about white collar crime and major violent crime?, No reference to women and crime, Not all people in relative deprivation turn to crime

Question 10

Who originated Right Realism?

Answer 10

James Q. Wilson (1975)

Question 11

Why was Right Realism developed?

Answer 11

It was developed as a critique of sociological theory which had failed to solve the problem of crime.

Question 12

What is the basis of Right Realism?

Answer 12

The basis of Right Realism is a negative view of nature in that people are naturally selfish and greedy. Right Realists believe that this aspect of human nature therefore needs to be subject to social controls and socialised into appropriate behaviour.

Question 13

Who developed Rational choice theory?

Answer 13

Clarke and Coleman (1980)

Question 14

What does Rational Choice Theory argue?

Answer 14

It argues that criminals will engage in crime if the benefits outweigh the costs

Question 15

What does Rational Choice Theory is the solution to crime?

Answer 15

It argues that the solution is to simply increase the cost of the crime (e.g. invest more money into institutions such as the police that will increase the likelihood of getting caught as well as tougher punishments)

Question 16

How does Right Realism link human nature to crime?

Answer 16

Right Realism argues that rising crime levels are a reflection of ineffective and inadequate social control.

Question 17

How does Right Realism link liberal attitudes and crime?

Answer 17

It argues that liberal attitudes allow self-indulgence and anti-social behaviour

Question 18

How does Right Realism link feckless parenting to crime?

Answer 18

It argues that aspects such as feckless parenting, absent fathers, lack of discipline in schools, liberal policies of the state have all served to ferment crime

Question 19

What does Right Realism say are the results of human nature?

Answer 19

The result of Selfish Human Nature is spiralling volumes of uncivil behaviours such as muggings, graffiti, vandalism, car break-ins and theft, as well as assaults, burglaries and robberies.

Question 20

What do right realists blame crime on?

Answer 20

Right Realists blame crime on inadequate or inappropriate socialisation by key socialisation agencies such as schools, within mass media, religious institutions and the family (non-traditional families, such as single mothers, are viewed as a major factor)

Question 21

Who argued that the underclass were insufficiently integrated into society?

Answer 21

New Realist Charles Murray (1990)

Question 22

What were the results of Charles Murrays’ analysis?

Answer 22

His analysis suggests that it is the poor themselves that are to blame for their poverty because they either choose to act in a certain way or are conditioned to do so by over-generous government welfare

Question 23

Describe the New Right

Answer 23

The New Right approach is based of the politics of the Conservative Party

Question 24

What do the New Right say about the Welfare State?

Answer 24

They view the welfare state as being too generous when it comes to ‘handouts’ from the ‘nanny’ welfare state and that it deters those in poverty from helping themselves, thus creating dependency culture

Question 25

What are some Right Realist solutions to crime?

Answer 25

Any of the following:
Reduce opportunities for offending, increase the costs to exceed the benefits of offending, crime control should fall upon the community, responsible parenting and active citizens should challenge anti-social behaviour and that there should be tougher punishments for offenders

Question 26

What are some critiques of Right Realism?

Answer 26

Any of the following:
It has influenced governmental policy, some argue that it lacks investment into the areas that need it, it is easy to pick scapegoats such as single parent families, Marxists argue that concentration on minor offences means that more serious crimes get ignored