Evaluation

Question 1

Strengths of psychoanalysis / proof of its success

Answer 1

• Some studies have concluded that psychoanalysis works as well as other psychotherapies such as the more common cognitive behavioural therapy.

Question 2

Weaknesses of psychoanalysis / proof of its failure

Answer 2

• It’s costly and time consuming, so it’s never been used on a large scale. (Little proof of its effectiveness)
• Psychoanalysis gives the analysts the power to define what is normal / abnormal. Risks abuse.
• Blackburn (1993) claimed there are very few positive evaluations for psychoanalysis as treatment for offenders.

Question 3

Evidence to suggest prison works.

Answer 3

• Some people find prison an awful experience -> which means they might not offend again.
• Governers have control over the budget. They can spend money in the right places.

Question 4

Evidence to suggest prison doesn’t work.

Answer 4

• Prisoners can still access drugs and various other items in prison. Feeds addiction and prevents rehabilitation.
• Prisons are understaffed and overcrowded -> the officers have little control.
• Mental health isn’t a priority. Some peoples mental health really deteriorates in prison.

Question 5

Strengths of behaviour modification / evidence to suggest it works.

Answer 5

• Makes prisons more manageable.
• Offenders who have undergone the programme usually take longer to reoffend than others.

Question 6

Weakness of behaviour modification / evidence to suggest it doesn’t work.

Answer 6

• Once the reinforcements stops, the behaviours tend to disappears. It doesn’t have long term effects.
• Sometimes unethical -> some cases prisons have taken away food / basic human rights.

Question 7

Strength of left realism

Answer 7

• most sociologist

Question 8

Weakness of left realism

Question 9

Strength of right realism

Question 10

Weakness of right realism

Question 11

Strength of labelling.

Answer 11

• Demonstrates how law is often enforced in a discriminatory way and highlights the consequences of labelling.
• Shifts the focus onto how the police create crime by applying labels based on stereotypes-> highlights the issue so it can be solved.

Question 12

Weakness of labelling.

Answer 12

• Wrongly implies that once someone is labelled, a deviant career is inevitable. This makes it deterministic.
• It doesn’t explain where the power to label comes from. It focuses on officials and agents of social control who apply the labels -> rather than the people who create them (capitalist society)

Question 13

Strengths of Marxism?

Answer 13

• Shows how poverty and inequality can cause working class crime and how capitalism promotes greed and encourages upper class crime -> helps us understand / fix the problems within society.
• Highlights the faults in law enforcement -> creates openings for change.

Question 14

Weaknesses of Marxism?

Answer 14

• Largely focuses on class and ignores the relationship between crime and other inequalities (gender+ethnicity) -> other factors play a role. Reductionist.
• Not all capitalist societies have high crime rates (Japans homicide rate is only about a fifth of the UKs) - not representative of all of capitalist society.

Question 15

Strength of Freud - personality theory.

Answer 15

• Positive contributions to criminological psychology -> pointed out the importance of childhood relationships. Can help prevent criminality.

Question 16

Weaknesses of Freud

Answer 16

• Freud used a biased sample -> studied a group of largely middle-class women. This does not represent the population , and therefore lacks validity.
• Explains why behaviours happen but not how to solve them. Only identified cause and not solution - makes it less useful.