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realist theories of crime (right realists seek practical methods that make…
realist theories of crime
right realism sees crime as a real and growing problems that destroys communities, undermines social cohesion and threatens society
in order to take crime seriously, left realised need to recognise that there has been an increase in crime since the 1950s
right realists reject the idea that structural and economic factors, such as poverty and inequality, cause crime
for right realists, crime is the product of three factors
socialisation and the underclass:
effective socialisation decreases the risk of offending as it involves self-control and internalising values of right and wrong
Murray argue that the underclass fail to socialise their children properly due to their reliance on welfare from the state
lone parent mothers are ineffective socialisation agents for boys as absent fathers mean they lack role models
rational choice theory:
Clarke argues that the decision to commit a crime is based on a rational calculation of the likely consequences
right realists argue that the perceived costs of crime are low, increasing the crime rate
biological differences:
Wilson and Herrnstein put forward a biosocial theory of criminal behaviour
biological differences make some people innately more strongly predisposed to commit crime (e.g. personality traits like aggression)
Herrnstein and Murray argue that crime is caused by low intelligence
criticisms of the right realist explanation of crime:
ignores wider structural causes such as poverty
overstates offender's rationality
ideas of rational choice contradict ideas of biology and socialisation
right realists seek practical methods that make crime seem less attractive and so crime prevention policies should reduce rewards and increase costs
zero tolerance:
Wilson and Kelling's article 'broken windows' argues that it is essential to maintain the orderly character of neighbourhoods to prevent crime
the police should focus on controlling the streets
Jock Young argues that zero tolerance is a myth
zero tolerance is preoccupied with petty street crime and ignores corporate crime
zero tolerance over emphasises control of disorder
left realists see society as an unequal capitalist one and they believe in gradual change to achieve greater equality
they believe we need explanations of crime that lead to practical strategies that reduce it
left realists accuse other sociologists of not taking crime seriously
Marxists
- concentrated on crimes of the powerful, such as corporate crime
left realists argue that this neglects working-class crime and its effects
Neo-Marxists
- romanticise working-class criminals as latter day Robin Hoods, stealing from the rich as an act of political resistance to capitalism
left realists argue that working-class criminals victimise over other working-class people
Labelling Theorists
- see working-class criminals as the victims of discriminatory labelling by social control agents
left realists argue that this approach neglects the real victims
Young argues that this has led to an aetiological crisis - a crisis in explanation
left realists use the British Crime Survey and victim surveys as evidence for the increase in crime
taking crime seriously involves recognising who is involved
victim surveys show that disadvantaged groups have greater risks of becoming victims
disadvantaged people are more likely to be victims of street crime, burglary and violence
unskilled workers are twice as likely to be burgled than other people
Lea and Young identify three causes of crime
relative deprivation:
people feel deprived in relation to others
the media presents wealth as normal and is to blame for relative deprivation
explains the paradox of increasing crime when society has got wealthier since the 1950s
subcultures:
recognises that deviance is a collective response to deprivation and marginalisation
criminal subcultures still subscribe to the values and goals of mainstream society, but achieve them illegitimately
marginalisation:
where people lack resources to participate in society
can be economic, social or political
results in feeling cut off from society and feelings of frustration and resentment
Young - we now live in a period of late modernity, where insecurity, instability and exclusion make crime worse
in a later study, Young points to a second aetiological crisis as from the 1990s the crime rate had fallen, suggesting it was not longer a major threat
left realists argue that police need to build relationships with the communities rather than using military policing
three ways of controlling crime
community approaches
- reducing unemployment and creating jobs
intervention
- identifying groups at risk of offending and attempting to limit this
improving policing
- 90% of crime was cleared up as a result of public information
evaluation: - interactionists argue that left realists cannot explain offenders' motives because they use victim surveys
assume there is a value consensus - sub-cultural
relative deprivation cannot fully explain crime
unrepresentative