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Crime and Deviance - Right and Left Realism (flashcards done) - Coggle…
Crime and Deviance - Right and Left Realism (flashcards done)
Right Realism x
Biological differences x
criticism x
MARXISM
flawed argument because it ignored the structural influences that cause us to commit crime - (
Gordon - criminogenic capitalism
)
It only explains simplistic or violent crimes - cannot explain more sophisticated crimes such as
white collar crime
which is often committed by well-educated individual (not naturally dumb or aggressive)
some people are
naturally less intelligent or aggressive
than others. this makes them
more likely to commit crimes
.
Hernstein and Murray x
main cause of crime is low intelligence, which is biologically determined.
Wilson and Hernstein x
Biosocial theory of crime
- crime is caused by a combination of biological and social factors
Socialisation and the Underclass x
criticism
LABELLING THEORISTS - Braithwaite x
rather than inadequate socialisation, underclass crimes is the result of social exclusion because of
disintegrative shaming
Solution
- instead of labelling people on benefits we need to employ re-integrative shaming to encourage them to contribute to mainstream society.
COHEN x
underclass crime is a result of a
moral panic
- people on benefits are identified as
folk devils
by the media and as a result succumbed to the
SFP
crime rate is increasing because of a growing
underclass
which fails to
socialise
it's children properly - disregard social values allowing them to become delinquent
Murray x
welfare benefits create a
culture of complacency
, and has led to the creation of the underclass which is dependent on
state handouts.
As a result of this complacency culture, children are
inadequately socialised
by underclass families because they do not grow up learning the values of
hard work and responsibilities.
This lack of correct socialisation means that these families
threaten the cohesion of society
by undermining it's core values.
Bennett et al x
crime is the result of: 'growing up surrounded by deviant, delinquent and criminal adults in a practically perfect criminogenic environment'
Rational Choice x
criticism x
flawed because the crime rate is actually falling
- CSEW saw an 8% decrease between 2014 and 201 (lowest figures ever)
flawed because the idea of rationally calculating criminals
contradicts Murray's
claim that people commit crime because they are of low-intelligence (pre-determined)
Comparison between Rehabilitation and Punishment of offenders
Norway
Crime Rate - focuses on rehabilitation policies -
0.54
in 2021
American
Crime Rate - focuses on punishment policies -
6.81
in 2021
contrast to structural theories
- individuals have free will and choose to commit crime
Clarke x
the decision to commit crime is a rational choice - this is based on
risk v. reward calculations.
the focus on rehabilitation policies means that there is too low of a risk to offenders, increasing the likelihood that they will commit crime
Felson x
Routine Activity Theory
- for a crime to occur, there must be a motivated offender, a suitable target and the absence of a 'capable guardian'
Zero Tolerance x
criticism x
Wilson x
overemphasises control and ignores the structural causes of neighbourhood decline - lack of investment and poverty.
Young x
To tackle crime effectively
society must improve housing and community facilities in deprived areas
.
The Zero Tolerance policies introduced ion New York in 1994 only were successful because crime had already been falling since 1985, and was also falling in other cities which had contrasting policies.
It was because of this decline in crime that the police were harsher and arrested less serous crimes as there was a shortage, relabelling different deviants as worthy of punishment.
Because of this the
success was just a product of the police's way of coping with a decline that had already occurred.
Maintain the orderly character of our neighbourhoods by adopting zero tolerance to crime, otherwise crime will increase exponentially
Wilson and Kelling x
Highlights the
snowball effect
of allowing minor crimes to go unpunished through his
broken window theory
A single broken window invites people to break the rest of the windows in that house and eventually
leads to more serious crimes
We can
prevent crime
from taking place and hold of a neighbourhod by maintaining the orderly character of neighbourhoods
Left Realism
Overview
Relative deprivation x
Crime is cause, not by poverty itself, but rather by the feeling of fraustration brough on by having much less than other members of society
Runciman x
relative deprivation
- how deprived someone feels in relation to others, or compared to their own expectations.
Lea and Young x
Although people are now better off when compared to 100 years ago, media and advertising rise people's desire for material possessions and highlight the huge disparities between
what you want, what you can afford and what better off people can afford
Young x
the increase of
individualism
is also fueling crime as it leads us to neglect the impact crime can have on others
Criticism x
Relative deprivation cannot fully explain crime because
not all those who experience it turn to crime.
Pryce
- found that deprived Afro-Caribbean communities included '
saints
', who turned to church for comfort, and '
hustlers
' who turned to crime,
Subculture x
crime is a group response to blocked opportunities x
different groups respond differently - some may use crime to close the 'deprivation gap' others may turn to religion to offer spiritual comfort (
Weber - 'Theodoric of dis-privilege'
)
similar to Cloward and Ohlin's theory x
YOUNG
People in ghettos in the USA subscribe to the
AD
. Blocked opportunities lead individuals to
resort to crime to fulfil this dream though (Innovators link)
. This highlights the contrast between
cultural inclusion and economic exclusion
.
criticism x
Interactionalists
- they have no way of knowing offenders' motives because they use
quantitative data
to understand crime. Instead
qualitative methods
which reveal individuals' meanings must be used
Religious subcultures may enforce conformity. x
Pryce
- found that deprived Afro-Caribbean communities included '
saints
', who turned to church for comfort, and '
hustlers
' who turned to crime,
Marginalisation x
Marginalised groups have no voice in society. As a result, they turn to crime to improve their positions.
Example - London Riots 2011 - marginalised black W/C groups rioted against racism within the police
criticism x
Right Realism
- it is an excuse for
inadequate socialisation
E.G. the London Riots -people were just stealing for the sake of it
The unemployed do not have jobs because they are lazy and would rather live off benefits than work -
Murray
Rehabilitate rather than punish criminals
Focus on socialising individuals into mainstream values and educating them to hekp them contribute to society
Example
encourage offenders to see the problems their crimes have caused by making them meet with victims (
restorative justice
).
If we must use prisons, invest in programmes that help prisoners to achieve qualifications. This will give them a
sense of self-worth and enable them to contribute to society
.
criticism x
Right Realism
- This will do nothing to tackle rising crime rates. Without though punishment, criminals will see prison as an 'easy option' and will make a
rational calculation
that it is worth committing crime, even if you get caught (
Clarke
)
Kinsey, Lea and Young x
the police clear-up rates are too low to act as a deterent to crime (spend too little time investigating crime)
police must become more involves in determining the police's priorities and style of policing.
Military policing
- depend on the public to inform about crime (90%), however rely on military policing due to a lack of community support and trust. This alienates communities and crease a vicious circle.
To avoid
military policing
they need to be
held accountable to the community
and deal with local concerns - increase time on investigations, change priorities, involve public in policy making.
Multi-agency approach is needed
- local councils, schools, housing agencies, etc.
Taking Crime Seriously x
accuse other sociologists for not tacking crime seriously x
Marxists
- concentrated on crime of the powerful/ neglects W/C crimes and it's effect
Neo-Marxists
- romanticise W/C criminals (Robin Hood)
Labelling
- W/C criminals are victims - neglects the real; victims of their crimes.
From the 1950s on, there was a real increase in crime, especially W/C crime.
Young x
- this led to an
aetoloigcal crisis
- a crisis of explanation - -for theories of crime.
critical criminology and labelling denied the increase was real, instead blame reporting and labels on offenders (stats as a social construction)
more people were reporting crime because more crime was occurring. - Victim surveys.
Late modernity, exclusion and crime x
Young x
we are now living in the stage of late modern society, where instability and insecurity and exclusion make the problem of crime worse.
1970s onwards
- insecurity and exclusion have increased due to
privatisation
threatening the traditional family unit and community life. This combined with
lack of welfare support
increase exclusion of those at the bottom.
Meanwhile greater inequality between rich and poor due to the increase of a free market and individualism increased the sense of
relative deprivation
Contrast between cultural inclusion and economic exclusion x
media-saturated late modern society promotes cultural inclusion
greater emphasis on leisure, personal consumption and immediate gratification
despite the ideology of meritocracy, the poor are denied opportunities to gain the
'glittering prizes of a wealthy society
Similar to Merton's notion of anomie
Overview
Don't
: highlight positive functions or see it as social construction
Do:
view crime as a
real and growing problem
. Seek to offer
political solutions
to the problem of crime.
RIGHT
- CONSERVATIVE APPROACH TO POLITICAL SOLUTIONS
influential in the Thatcher government -
critical of labelling theory
for being too sympathetic of criminals. Advocates for a
tough stance
towards offending that focuses on punishment.
LEFT
- SOCIALIST APPROACH TO POLITICAL SOLUTIONS
developed as a response to Right Realism - argue that crime is cause by
structural inequalities
in society. Suggest that the CJS should focus on
rehabilitation
of offenders and politicians should tackle the
structural causes
of crime