Realism and Crime

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Left realism and Crime
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What do left realists see as a cause of crime and inequality ?
capitalist society
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When are they reformist not revolutionary socialists?
Believe in gradual change to bring a crime free society eg. nationalisation
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What type of problem do they see crime as and what group do they believe is effects the most?
Serious, disadvantaged groups
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What 3 theories do they belong don't take crime seriously left realists believe ?
Marxists, Neo-marxists and labelling theoridts
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Why do they believe marxists don't see crime as a serious problem?
Because they concentrate on corporate core and not W/C crime and its effects
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Why do they believe Neo-marxists don't take crime seriously (romantic)?
they romantice W/C criminalises as 'Robin hoods' when they mostly victimise other W/C
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Why do the believe Labelling theorists don't take crime seriously (who do they ignore)?
See criminals as a victim of labelling but ignore the real victims of crime
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What do they believe has happened since the 50's ?
Been an increase in forms
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Left realist causes if crime (3)
Relative deprivation, subculture, marginalisation
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What 2 theories believe crime has its roots in relative deprivation?
Lea and Young (1984)
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What is relative deprivation?
How deprived someone feels in relation to others or their own expectations
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What does Runciman (1966) believe crime occurs when ?
People feel resentful towards others because they have more then them and want the same
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What do lea and young claim about crime today?
society is crime-ridden but, more prosperous todat
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What do they claim about media and advertising?
the media and advertixing nskes people more aware of goods they cannot afford so turn to crime
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However, why is it too deterministic?
Relative deprivation is experienced by some who don't commit a crime
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Why do left realists make crime seem a bigger issue and is unrepresentative?
Over predicts the amount of W/C crime by focusing on crime in inner-city areas
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What is left relists cause of crime being subcultures similar to?
Merton's strain theory and subcultural theories
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Why do left realists believe people turn to crime and join deviant subcultures?
Want to achieve mainstream goals but opportunities are blocked
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What do left realists believe about subcultures and relative deprivation?
That subcultures are a group collective solution to relative deprivation
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How do young men who join subcultures releive feelings of deprivation?
turn to utilitiarian and non-utilitarian crime
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Who gives the example of USA Gheetos and the American dream to support the view subcultures?
Young (2002)
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Explain Youngs view of ghettos and american dream?
USA ghetto fully believe in the American dream even though these opportunities are legitimately blocked so turn to street crime
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However, what do to left realsits assum if they belvie in subcultures?
assume a value consensus exists and only exsists when this breaks down eg. not everyone shares the idea that should succed in education
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Why do marginalised groups feel frustrated and powerless?
because they face unfair stimigisation
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What do marginalised groups have in terms of goals?
Different goals
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Unlike workers with trade unions what do marginalsied groups not have?
have no organisation to represent them
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thus, what to they resort to (example, unemployed youths)?
violence to achieve mainstream goals
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Who beliveds black communties are marginalised in terms of poverty, hoursing and education ?(GM)
Gibbs and Merigni (1994)
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Why do Gibbs and Merigni believe this makes black communities turn to crime?
Because ti produces anger and frustration
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However, what do interactionalist argue left realists rely on from victim surveys ?
Quantitative data when suggesting the cause of crime to understand the motives we require qualitative data
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Left realists soultions to crime (2)
Democratic and accountable policing, reducing inequality
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What 3 sociolgists belive the polcice should become more accountable ?
Kinsey, lea, and young (1986)
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What do Kinsey, lea, and young (1986) argue about the police and public?
The public mist become more invloved in determining police prorities and polcing style
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Give a reason why left realists believe the public is losing support?
investigations into crime take too long so the flow of information dries up
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What 2 types of polcing do Left relaists believe sill increase trust and support?
Democratic and accountable
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What type of apporch do left relaists belive there needs to be to control crime instead of just the police alone?
a multi-agency approch (local council schools)
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What do left realists believe the underlying cause of crime is?
Social inequality
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Who do left relaists feel the government has been influenced by?
Right realist views
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What type of chnages in society do they argue need to happen on society to deal with inequality of oppourtunity ?
structural changes
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For example, what types of policies would ensure all youths have a reduce chance of offending?
policies for unemployed youths
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However, why do Marxists argue left realists are naïve ?
Because they assume the police can be accountable
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Why do Marxists assume this?
Because the key role of police is to support capitalism
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What type of labor force is unlikely to reduce inequality ?
a conservative labor force
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Late modernity
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What does Young believe the cuases of crime and the growing rates of crime are due to ?
changes within society
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What 3 characteristics does young give to a late modern society (he believes we live in it) ?
Unstable, unsecure, excludes
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Provide an example of the late modern society being unstable?
high unemployment
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What groups of people do a late modern society exclude?
W/C ethnic minorities
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Before, what does Young argue we lived in ?
A golden age
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What does young characterise the golden age as?
Stability, secuitry, inclusiion
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Provide examples
Low divorce rates, the fair welfare state, and low unemployment
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In the 70's, how did the media increase insecuirty and exclusion ?
by promoting consumerism and worship around a celeb and monetary success culture
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Why does late modernity cuase more crime?
desire to binge on a materialistic world created more marginalization so drives people towards crime
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However, why do right relaists diagree?
there needs to be more emphasis on punishment and those who commit crime
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Right realism theories of crime and deviance
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Right realism background
Recognise that crime and deviance is a real and growing problem
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What do right realists views of crime link closely with ?
the conservative governments of 70's and 80's
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What do they argue interactionalists are towards crime?
are too sympathetic towards criminals and are to blameful towards law and order forces
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What are Right realists less concerned with ?
The causes of crime
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What are right realists more concerned with ?
Providing realistic solutions
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Give 3 things do right realists believe crime destroys?
communities, undermines social cohesion, societies work ethic
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Right realists causes of Crime (3)
Biological differences, socialisation of the underclass, rational choice
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Biological differences
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Who believes that the main cause of Crome is low intelligence ?
herrnstein and Murry (1994)
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What do Wilson and Herrnstein believe?
Crime is caused by a combination of biological and social factors
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What are the 3 personality trait of people that are more biologically predisposed to commit crime than others?(4)
More aggressive, extroverted, risk taking and low impulse control
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However, who criticises it and believes that right realists over emphasis biological differences ?
Lily (2002)
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What percentage do IQ differences in offending account for?
less than 3%
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Socialisation of the underclass
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Who argues that crime rates are increasing because of a growing underclass?
Charles Murray (1990)
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What are the underclass defined by ?
Their deviant behaviour and failure to socialise their children properly
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Why does Murray believe the underclass is growing?
families socialise the next generation to be dependent on state benefits
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Why does Murray believe loan parent families are harmful particular to boys ?
Because boys lack discipline and a male role model
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Thus, why are boys form LPF socialised into crime?
find a delinquent role model and gain status through crime
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thus, what does Murray believe the best agency of socialisation is?
nuclear family
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However, provide an example of the real causes of crime that right realists ignore?
Poverty
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What are not generous ?
Welfare payments in the UK
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What types of crime does the socialistic of the underclass not explain?
Crime is committed by R/C like Corporate crime
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Rational Choice
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What do individuals have?
free will and power of reason
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Who argues crime is based on rational choice and based on rational calculation of likely consequences ?
Clarke (1980)
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Describe 'based on rational calculation of the likely consequences?
If the reward outweighs the costs, people are likely to offend
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Thus why do right realists believe that crime had increased ?
Because the perceived cost of crime are low
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Who argues this is because of low quality policing, weak community control and punishments are lenient?
Fallen
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What does Fallen mean by this?
less chance of being caught and ordinary people won't speak out
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However, why does the theory contradict itself?
Can't freely choose Crime but biological and socialisation but then they have a rational choice
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What type of crime do they they not explain ?
utilitarian crimes like impulse or violent crime
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Right realists solutions (2)
Believe the best way to tackle crime is to make it less attractive. Crime policies focus on crime prevention policies rather than rehabilitation
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What are the 2 solutions ?
Zero tolerance policing and Target Hardening
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Who believes it is essential to maintain the orderly character of neighbourhoods to prevent crime taking place and hold?
Wilson and Kelling (1982)
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What types of undesirable behaviour do right realists advocate zero tolerance policing towards?
prostitution , beginning, drunkenness
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What do they believe the police should focus on controlling ?
the public
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however, when was Zero tolerance policing first introduced and where?
New York 1994
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Who belies that NY crime rate was not falling ?
Young (2011)
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Why does he argue its success was a myth ?
because it was peddled by podlike and politicians
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In facts when dd the new York crime rate begin falling?
1985
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What dod the police do that made further arrests appear like zero tolerance was working and the police was cracking down on it?
'Defining deviance up'
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Target hardening
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What 3 things do right realists believe more is needed?
surveillance, prosecutions and punishments
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What do they believe in particular will maximise deterrent effects?
greater use of prison, and ensuing punishment follows soon after the offense
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However, what does target hardening lead to instead?
the displacement of crime into other areas
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What doesn't It tackle (the real causes of crime)?
poverty
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What does zero tolerance and target hardening give free reign for the police to do?
discriminate
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What does zero tolerance lead to in terms of corporate crime?
It to be ignored because the police are pre-occupied with corporate crime
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

What do left realists see as a cause of crime and inequality ?

Back

capitalist society

Card 3

Front

When are they reformist not revolutionary socialists?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What type of problem do they see crime as and what group do they believe is effects the most?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

What 3 theories do they belong don't take crime seriously left realists believe ?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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