Causes of policy change Flashcards
(27 cards)
How have Right Realist ideas influenced sentencing?
Led to more punitive policies such as “three strikes” and longer prison sentences.
What does Wilson argue about Right Realist influence?
That a crackdown on minor crimes reduces serious offending — supports zero-tolerance policing.
What is a criticism of zero-tolerance policies?
They often only move crime elsewhere and can damage community-police relations.
How do Left Realist ideas influence crime policy?
They support a multi-agency approach and addressing social causes of crime like inequality.
What example shows Left Realism’s influence on policy?
Restorative Justice programs and community-based policing.
What is CCTV’s role according to realist theories?
Used as a deterrent and to assist in solving crimes (e.g., 70% of cases in some areas solved with CCTV evidence).
What extreme policy is based on biological theories?
The death penalty.
How do Sheldon and Lombroso’s theories relate to the death penalty?
They suggest criminality is inherited, so the policy aims to eradicate ‘born criminals’.
What is a major criticism of death penalty policies based on biology?
Biological factors are outdated and highly criticised; also ethical concerns.
What is eugenics in the context of crime policy?
The belief that sterilising those with criminal traits or learning difficulties can prevent crime genetically.
What real-life example supports eugenics-based policy?
A 2015 UK case where a judge ordered the sterilisation of a mother of six with learning difficulties.
Why is eugenics policy unlikely to be widely adopted?
Serious ethical concerns and discredited biological theories.
What are norms?
Social expectations that guide behaviour - expected behaviour in society.
What are moral codes (mores)?
Morals (right + wrong) or good ways of behaving that are valued by a culture
What are values?
Rules shared by most people in a given culture.
What was the view of smoking in the 1930s?
Smoking was a social norm, glamourised and encouraged as an acceptable behaviour.
Why did views in smoking change?
Health implications became known (1964 surgeon general found a link between smoking and lung cancer), campaigns like ASH, laws like tobacco advertising and promotion act 2002 banning advertising.
How was homosexuality treated in the 16th - 19th centuries?
Homosexual acts were punishable by death, in the 19th century sexual acts between males were still illegal (oscar wilde)
What key changes occured regarding homosexuality from 1967 onwards?
1967: homosexuality decriminalised
1994: age of consent lowered to 18
2000: age of consent lowered to 16
2004: civil partnerships legalised homophobic hate crime recognised by cps
What led to changing views on homosexuality?
cultural and structural changes, secularisation and reduced religious influence
What was the status of women’s rights in the early 20th century?
Women had few legal and Political rights
What key events helped change views about women?
Suffragette movement
right to vote in 1928
women working in WW2
equal pay act in 1970
What were past racist acts in western societies?
slavery and segregation
What role did Martin Luther King play in changing racist views?
His speeches inspired movement’s against racial injustice and helped change societal attitudes.
