Crime And Deviance - Realist Theories Of Crime

Question 1

How are realist theories of crime different from others?

Answer 1

• Crime is seen as a real problem to be dealt with
• Argues there has been a significant rise in crime
• Concern about the widespread fear of crime
• argue that other theories have failed to offer adequate solutions to crime

Question 2

How did realist theories emerge and associated with whom?

Answer 2

Realist theories emerged with the political shift to the right in politics in the 70’s and 80’s, the right being associated with Thatcher and Reagan, the left being associated with Clinton and Blair.

Question 3

What are the three right realist causes of crime?

Answer 3

• Biological differences
• Socialisation and the underclass
• Rational choice theory

Question 4

Wilson and Herrnstein (1985) and biology:

Answer 4

Biological differences make some people predisposed to crime, traits like aggression or extroversion, which are exacerbated by inadequate socialisation.

Question 5

Murray (1994) and IQ:

Answer 5

The main cause of crime is low intelligence, which is biologically determined (yikes)

Question 6

Murray (1990) and the underclass:

Answer 6

The crime rate is increasing because of the growing underclass of welfare-dependant lone parent (matrifocal) families that inadequately socialise their boys who turn to delinquent role models and gain status and identity off crime.

Question 7

Give a criticism of the socialisation right realist explanation of crime.

Answer 7

Donzelot (1977) argues that this is just an excuse to over police w/c and black families as ‘inefficient’

Question 8

Clarke (1998) and rational choice theory:

Answer 8

Criminals are guided by a rational cost-benefits calculation for committing crimes, if the perceived costs outweigh the benefits then they will be less likely to offend.

Question 9

Based on rational choice theory, why do right realists believe crime is rising?

Answer 9

The perceived cost of crime is decreasing, with jail sentences (apparently) decreasing.

Question 10

Give a criticism of the biological right realist explanation of crime.

Answer 10

Lilly et al (2002): IQ differences account for less than 3% of offending differences

Question 11

Give a criticism of Clarke (1998):

Answer 11

It assumes that individuals are entirely free, ignoring the effect of structural influences that cause disproportionate offending rates such as patriarchy - convicted are 3x more likely to be men than women.

Question 12

How is right realism unique in tackling crime?

Answer 12

Right realists see the causes of crime to be too varied and too difficult to change to be focussed on; instead they focus on control, containment, and punishment to decrease attractiveness of crime.

Question 13

What is ‘target hardening’?

Answer 13

The attempt to increase the cost and decrease the benefits of crime, in line with rational choice theory.

Question 14

Wilson and Kelling (1982) and zero tolerance:

Answer 14

In their article ‘Broken Windows’, they argue that crime occurs because formal social controls (the police) are focussed on serious crime and informal social control (the community) feel powerless to stop it, sending it into a spiral of increasing criminality as deviance moves into the unpoliced area.

Question 15

What is the practical applications of ‘Broken Windows’?

Answer 15

Crime can be reduced by maintaining an orderly neighbour: police should have a ‘zero tolerance policy’ towards deviant behaviour such as public drunkenness or homelessness.

Question 16

What is the evidence for the success of ‘zero tolerance policing’?

Answer 16

NYC adopted zero tolerance policing in the 90’s in the forms of programmes such as their ‘clean car programme’ and graffiti removal. This led to a large reduction of crime, include a 50% reduction of homicide.

Question 17

Young (2011) and the myth of NYC:

Answer 17

NYC didn’t reduce crime with ‘zero tolerance’, crime had been falling for 9 years beforehand and in other cities that didn’t adopt the same policy. But police needed to justify their own existence amidst falling crime rate so ‘defined deviance up’ to increase their net - additionally, although the homicide rate halved, attempted homicide stayed roughly the same, implying that responsibility lay in the improved medical services and not the police.

Question 18

Give two criticisms of zero-tolerance policing.

Answer 18

• It just pushes crimes into different areas
• It gives the police (who are institutionally racist (Casey)) free rein to discriminate against minorities on the basis of order.

Question 19

How do left realists differ from Marxists?

Answer 19

Left realists are reformists that disregard Marxists claim that a revolution will solve everything as we don’t know when a revolution will occur and crime is a problem now.

Question 20

Young (2011) and the aetiological crisis:

Answer 20

Left realists argue the crime rise from the 50’s on was real, which provided difficult for other theories of crime to explain - an ‘aetiological crisis’ or crisis in explanation.

Question 21

How do left realists evidence the rising crime rate from the 50’s onwards?

Answer 21

The CSEW found that number of offences increased by more than 50% 1980 and 1990.

Question 22

Lea and Young (1984) and the three causes of crime:

Answer 22

• Relative depravation
• Subcultures
• Marginalisation

Question 23

How do Lea and Young (1984) dispute deprivation, itself, as a cause of crime?

Answer 23

Poverty was rife in the 30’s but there was very little crime, by contrast the 50’s saw living standards and crime rise in tandem.

Question 24

Lea and Young (1984) and relative deprivation:

Answer 24

Despite greater societal prosperity, people are becoming more aware of inequalities due to media and advertising, then resenting those better off and resort to crime to take ‘what they deserve’.

Question 25

Young (1999) and individualism:

Answer 25

Relative deprivation does not cause crime alone, ‘the lethal combination is relative deprivation and individualism’ which weakens communities and informal social control agencies that discourage crime.

Question 26

What is the left realist perspective on subcultures?

Answer 26

Subcultures arise in response to relative deprivation, building on Cloward and Ohlin (1960), arguing that different groups provide different responses.

Question 27

Pryce (1979) and Bristol:

Answer 27

The African Caribbean Bristol community contains a variety of subcultures ranging from hustlers and Rastafarians to Pentecostal 'Saints'.

Question 28

How are left Realists and strain theorists similar?

Answer 28

Both argue that criminal subcultures still subscribe to mainstream goals, like materialism and consumerism. Young (2002) identifies ghettos in the US where there is 'full immersion in the American Dream'

Question 29

How does marginalisation lead to crime?

Answer 29

Marginalised groups lack the organisation to represent their interests, nor the clear goals to pursue - this frustration and lack of agency leads them to crime as a means of channel.

Question 30

Young (2002) and the 50's and 60's:

Answer 30

Young sees the 50's and 60's as a 'golden age of capitalism', with strong value consensus, full employment, social inclusion, and low crime rates.

Question 31

Young (2002) and the growth of relative deprivation:

Answer 31

The deindustrialisation of the 70's (the late modern era) and the loss of low skilled manual labour caused many young people and minorities to lose their jobs. This combines with the greater 'cultural inclusion' (emphasis on the 'good life' that the poor can't achieve) and 'economic exclusion' to create greater tension between the top and bottom.

Question 32

Young (2002) and the spread of relative deprivation:

Answer 32

RD has spread from just the bottom of society to widespread resentment of 'fat cats', mounting in things like the Occupy Wall Street movement. There has also been growth in 'downwards relative deprivation', where the middle-class resents that stereotypical idle and welfare-dependant underclass.

Question 33

Young (2002) and reactions:

Answer 33

Reactions to crime have changed in late modernity, the value consensus has weakened due to weaker informal social control and greater diversity, leading to more crime and greater intolerance towards it, developing 'tough-on-crime' politics.

Question 34

Young (2011) and the 'second aetiological crisis':

Answer 34

Left realist explanations fail to explain the fall in crime rate since the mid-90's as it suggests crime is no longer a major threat. However, Young notes that this doesn't affect perceptions as crime is socially constructed: in the CSEW (2013), 61% thought crime was rising.

Question 35

Young (2011) and ASBOs:

Answer 35

The growing use of ASBOs has helped governments widen the net of 'crime' and maintain fear of 'crime', ASBOs have several key features: - Blurring the boundaries between crime and 'incivilities' - Subjective definitions led public perceptions run rampant - Flexibility allows the net to constantly widen to include things like wearing hoodies, or rough sleeping

Question 36

Lea et al (1986) and military policing:

Answer 36

Police rely on the public for information (90% of the crimes the police know about are reported by the public), but they are very quickly losing support, especially in minority ethnic and urban areas. This causes them to rely on military policing techniques such as stop an search, which further alienate the community and cycles.

Question 37

What do left realists see as the best way for police to act?

Answer 37

Police need to mend relations with the community by spending more time investigating, changing their priorities (from minor drug crime to racist hate crime and domestic violence) and involve the public in policy decisions.

Question 38

What is the 'multi-agency approach'

Answer 38

Given the structural nature of crime, multiple agencies, such as social services and public housing, need to be involved in mitigating crime.

Question 39

What is the wider tactic for left Realist crime prevention?

Answer 39

Given that structures like relative deprivation and marginalisation lead to crime, tackling inequality of opportunity and discrimination will reduce crime rates.

Question 40

What was New Labour's Left Realist motto:

Answer 40

"Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime"

Question 41

How did Young criticise the New Labour government?

Answer 41

Although in favour of their structural reforms like the New Deal for unemployed youth and greater policing of hate crimes and domestic violence, young sees it as a futile attempt to recreate the 'Golden Age' and failing to deal with the actual underlying causes of crime like inequality.

Question 42

Give two criticisms of the Left Realist theory of crime.

Answer 42

- Relative deprivation over-predicts working-class crime, with Trust For London finding that the least deprived areas in London actually experience 50% more theft and shoplifting crimes than the most deprived areas - Lea and Young (1992): second aetiological crisis