6. Realist Explanations Of C&D

Question 1

What do left realists see crime as?

Answer 1

A very real problem that needs solutions, not just explanations

Question 2

What type of approach do realists take?

Answer 2

They take a victim-centred approach

Question 3

What do left realists believe causes crime?

Answer 3

See inequality as the main underlying cause of crime

Question 4

What do right realists blame crime on?

Answer 4

Blame the welfare state and a breakdown in informal and formal social controls

Question 5

Why do left realists critics marxists?

Answer 5

Criticise marxists for saying the only way to tackle crime is to abolish capitalism which is unrelated, instead reforming capitalism is the only real way forward

Question 6

What survey do left realists refer to?

Answer 6

The Islington Crime Survey to show crime is a really serious problem

Question 7

Islington crime survey stats in 1986

Answer 7

-50% of women fear being raped
-56% of men and women fear burglary
-Fear is linked to victimisation of the crime

Question 8

Islington crime survey in 2016

Answer 8

-Increased sense of safety amongst residents
-Fears for most sections of the community re much reduced
-Likelihood of victimisation has decreased for most groups since 1986.

Question 9

What are the main 3 left realist explanations?

Answer 9

-Relative deprivation
-Subcultures
-Marginalisation

Question 10

Left realist explanations: What is relative deprivation?

Answer 10

Not deprivation itself that leads to crime but feeling of deprivation in comparison to others. Evidence is that as nations have become richer crime has increases, role of materialism.

Question 11

Left realist explanations: Subcultures

Answer 11

The formation of subcultures is linked to relative deprivation and marginalisation, those who share a sense of deprivation and strain often group together to find a place they ‘fit in’. Which can encourage criminality.

Question 12

Left realist explanations: Marginalisation

Answer 12

Those on the edges of society who lack clearly defined goals and involvement in society. They may feel socially excluded, abandoned and frustrated, leading to violence and rioting. Employment would prevent this.

Question 13

What does relative deprivation create?

Answer 13

A bulimic society

Question 14

What is a bulimic society?

Answer 14

Media saturated world creates a smorgasbord of consumer goods, a ‘good’ life depends on having these products and living these lifestyles. Seeing this lifestyle but cannot afford = dissatisfaction, disappointment, frustration and anger.

Question 15

What is the late modern/postmodern society creating?

Answer 15

The toxic mix

Question 16

What is the toxic mix?

Answer 16

-Young people who feel excluded from society turn to antisocial behaviour for buzz and excitement they desire.
-Those with money seek excitement throughout sports etc
-Those without money need to create own fun, committing crime

Question 17

Which postmodernists call the toxic mix ‘Edgework’ and ‘The seductions of crime’?

Answer 17

Lyng - ‘Edge work’
Katz - ‘The seductions of crime’

Question 18

What do Lyng and Katz say?

Answer 18

‘Edge work’ and ‘The seductions of crime’ - Those without money have to create own fun and excitement so turn to crime, criminal behaviour gives a thrill and excitement to otherwise dull lives (The toxic mix)

Question 19

What theory did Lea and Young come up with?

Answer 19

The square of crime

Question 20

What are the four elements that make up the square of crime?

Answer 20

-Formal social control (Laws, police, CJS)
-Offenders
-Victims
-Informal social control (neighbourhoods, what’s tolerated?)

Question 21

Strengths of Left Realism

Answer 21

-Doesn’t glamorise crime, takes importance of tackling crime and fear seriously
-Recognises crime has devastating effects for most deprived areas.
-Sees importance of community solutions to crime.

Question 22

Limitations of Left Realism

Answer 22

-Neglects other responses to relative deprivation and marginality apart from crime.
-Neglects gender as a significant issue
-‘Left Realism’ tends to be part of a more male stream criminology
-Doesn’t pay attention to white collar crime

Question 23

What traits do Right realists believe in?

Answer 23

-Individual achievement, opportunity and effort (meritocracy)
-People should take responsibility for their own actions, should be incentivised to work hard and rewarded accordingly.

Question 24

Right realism: What is the problem with people taking responsibility for their own actions?

Answer 24

-People are basically selfish
-People make bad choices
-People have poor socialisation leaving to wrong norms and values followed.

Question 25

What are some stats from the 2012 prisoner survey results?

Answer 25

-24% state they had been in care during childhood
-29% have experiences abuse
-37% have had family members convicted and imprisoned.

Question 26

What does a lack of lead to problems for society?

Answer 26

Social bonds - Hirschi

Question 27

What is Wilson and Hernstein’s theory?

Answer 27

Biological differences

Question 28

What is the theory of Biological differences - Wilson & Hernstein?

Answer 28

-Some people are innately predisposed to commit crime, they have aggressive, extrovert and low control levels etc
-If you look at prison population you find individuals who are very aggressive with low control levels, low litrecy levels etc

Question 29

What do Wilson and Hernstein believe is the main cause of crime (Biological differences)?

Answer 29

Low intelligence

Question 30

Whose theory is the under class?

Answer 30

Charles Murray - Inadequate socialisation

Question 31

What did Charles Murray say about inadequate socialisation?

Answer 31

Inadequate socialisation leads people from the underclass to develop a culture of dependancy, lack of discipline and respect, criminality and laziness.

Question 32

What does Charles Murray think overgenerous welfare payments leads to?

Answer 32

Overgenerous welfare payments leads to increase in single mothers with illegitimate children (No dad)
-However no evidence for this!

Question 33

Opportunity theories: Who focuses on the decision making of the potential offender?

Answer 33

Wilson

Question 34

Opportunity theories: What does Wilson focus on?

Answer 34

Wilson focuses on the decision making of a potential offender, crime is a matter of rational choice

Question 35

Opportunity theories: What do people look out for?

Answer 35

People mostly look out for themselves and weigh up the risks and befits for their own selfish outcomes

Question 36

Opportunity theories: What has become quite low?

Answer 36

The risk of getting caught for street crime has become quite low

Question 37

Opportunity theory: What is Clarke and Felon’s theory?

Answer 37

Routine activity theory

Question 38

Opportunity theory: What does the routine activity theory argue?

Answer 38

Crime is opportunistic - Not carefully planned in advance, those motivated to commit crime encounter easier opportunities then crime is likely to occur

Question 39

Opportunity theory: What does the routine activity theory say needs to be in place for crime to occur?

Answer 39

-Individuals who are motivated to offend
-Suitable target of crime
-Lack of capable guardian of target

Question 40

What is the answer to stopping crime according to right realists?

Answer 40

To make it harder to commit crime.

Question 41

Who came up with the ‘Broken Window Thesis’?

Answer 41

Wilson and Kelling

Question 42

What is the ‘Broken Window Thesis’? and effect.

Answer 42

-Failure to deal with crime at low level encourages an escalation of crime and anti social behaviour.
-Drives nice people away, criminals take over.

Question 43

Strengths of Right Realism

Answer 43

-Addresses the immediate causes of crime and provides policies for reducing the opportunities for crime
-Recognises importance of community control and responses to crime like left realism.

Question 44

Weaknesses of Right realism?

Answer 44

-Doesn’t address the wider structural causes of crime
-Doesn’t pay attention to white collar or corporate crime.
-Suggests offenders act rationally, weighing up costs and benefits but some crime are impulsive and don’t bring obvious gain.