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Flashcards by Em Maskrey, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by Em Maskrey
almost 6 years ago
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| Question | Answer |
| Although left realism developed out of the marxist criminology, it is highly critical of aspects of the theory. Which marxist suggestion are they most critical of? | The suggestion that the only way to tackle crime is to abolish capitalism. |
| What counterargument do left realists put forwards? | They argue that the abolition of capitalism is extremely unlikely and adopting this position means that nothing realistic will be said. They counter than crime can only be tackled by reforming capitalism, rather than replacing it. |
| Marxists claim that white-collar and corporate crimes are the most important problems and should be focused on. How do left realists respond? | They accept that these are important issues but argue that we should not focus of such crimes at the expense of other crimes, such as street crimes. |
| Left realism concentrates on examining what? | The street crimes that marxist and critical criminology failed to pay attention to, due to their emphasis on the crimes of the powerful. |
| Who are the founders of left realism? | John Lea and Jock Young. |
| According to Lea and Young, what characteristic do most victims of street crime share? What impact does this have? | They are almost always poor. Their victimisation makes their already difficult lives even harder. |
| Because of the victims' low social status, Lea and Young argue that it is very misleading to portray modern-day criminals as akin to Robin Hood. What perspective originally suggested we should take this romantic view of criminals? | Ian Taylor et al's new criminology. |
| What is one of left realism's most distinctive characteristics? | It's emphasis on studying victims. |
| Left realists make extensive use of local victim surveys to uncover how crime affects the lives of those who live and work in high crime areas. Name a study that examples the left realist approach? | The Islington Crime Survey. |
| According to the Islington Crime Survey, who is most likely to be a victim of crime? | Inner-city dwellers, who were often working-class and ethnic minorities. They also had the greatest fear of crime. |
| Left realists argue that some crimes have too much attention and resources devoted to them. Give examples of such crimes: | Prostitution, underage drinking, and drug use. |
| Such crimes do more harm to the offenders than to third parties (if there are any) and can often be dealt with through medical intervention and other forms of punishment. What types of crime do Lea and Young believe should receive more attention and resources? | Sexual assaults, harassment, racially motivated attacks and domestic violence, all of which are underreported and under-investigated. |
| Official crime statistics indicate that street crime rates have risen since WW2, but some sociologists dismiss this. Why do they not believe official crime statistics are valid? | They claim that official crime statistics are invalid because they are socially constructed. |
| How does Young respond to the argument that official statistics are incorrect in their indication of street crime rates? | He argues that the rises in crime are so great that they can't simply be explained away by changes in reporting and recording - there must have been at least some rise, and this rise needs explaining. |
| Lea and Young base their attempt to explain crime around which three concepts? | 1. Relative deprivation. 2. Subculture. 3. Marginalisation. |
| What do Lea and Young mean by 'relative deprivation'? | Modern societies advertisers stress the importance of economic success and promote middle-class lifestyles and patterns of consumption. This raises people's expectations and may push them to turn to crime in order to achieve said expectations. This view is similar to Merton's Strain Theory. |
| What do Lea and Young mean by 'subculture'? | Some groups develop subcultural strategies and lifestyles in order to cope with their deprivation. Some subcultures then encourage criminality. |
| What do Lea and Young mean by 'marginalisation'? | Marginalised groups lack the power to represent their interests in political life and their concerns are generally not taken seriously. They therefore resort to crime to express their sense of grievance. |
| According to Lea and Young, what underlies relative deprivation, subculture formation and marginalisation? | Inequality. |
| As well as developing specific explanations of criminality, left realists have also developed a model of the different factors involved in understanding and experiencing crime. What is this known as? | The square of crime. |
| Which sociologist argues that crime can only be understood in terms of the interaction between four elements? | Roger Matthews. |
| What are the four elements Matthews is referring to? | 1. The offender. 2. The victim. 3. Formal social control. 4. Informal social control. |
| The square of crime acknowledges that crime is produced through the interaction between offenders' actions and the subsequent formal and informal social reactions. What does the square of crime therefore combine elements of? | Traditional approaches to explaining crime, which focus on the offender, and labelling theory, which focuses on the social reaction. |
| However, how does the square of crime go further than both the traditional approaches and the labelling theory? | By also examining the role of the victims. |
| Victims are crucial in determining whether an act is defined as criminal or not. Why? | Because they will be the ones to first define whether it is illegal and/or violent or not, and decide whether it should be reported. |
| Left realists have had some influence upon policies in many countries, including our own. Which government adopted policies, including the introduction of tax credits and the minimum wage, helping to reduce relative deprivation? | The New Labour government (1997-2010). |
| Left realists have also had some influence on policing policy. What did Young argue about the effectiveness of policing? | Policing can only be effective with the cooperation of the public and it is therefore important to have democratic control of the police and improve relations between the police and public, particularly in high-crime areas. |
| Left realists also support measures such as recruitment of ethnic minority police officers and want to reduce use of stop and search powers. What could this do? | It could help to reduce marginalisation. |
| Left realism has been heavily criticised. Which sociologist agues that it fails to successfully explain causes of street crime? | Gordon Hughes. |
| Left realists have not gathered empirical data about motivations for crime and the theory thus lacks direct evidence. What does most left realist research focus on? | Victim surveys, which offer little information about offenders. |
| Hughes also attacks left realism for its reliance on which theory? | Subcultural theory - this theory has been criticised by many. |
| According to Stephen Jones, left realism fails to explain what? | Why some people who experience relative deprivation turn to crime while others do not. |
| Which sociologist argues that left realists have neglected corporate and organised crime in comparison with marxist and critical criminologists? | Vincenzo Ruggiero. |
| Although he criticises it, Gordon Hughes has also identified three strengths of left realism. Give examples: | 1. The concept of relative deprivation is useful in understanding why crime can increase despite rising living standards. 2. The suggestion that street crime can have harmful effects on weaker members of society is valid. 3. The theory provides some useful suggestions for improving law enforcement. |
| However, what is perhaps the most important contribution of left realism? | Its emphasis on the significance of victims. No other theory had incorporated the role of victims in any way prior to left realism, so it helped produce a more rounded understanding of criminality. |
| Right realists also accept official statistics and see crime as a major and increasing problem. They agree with functionalists on what point? | That it is important to maintain order for society to run smoothly. |
| Right realists typically reject the view that crime can be explained in terms of structural causes, such as inequality. What do they focus on? | The individual offender's role and the role of law-enforcement agencies in preventing and deterring crime. |
| Which American social scientist famously attacked left-wing solutions to crime? | James Q. Wilson. |
| Wilson believed that the explanation for crime was simple. What did he believe the real cause was? | A matter of rational choice - individuals who contemplate crime weigh up the pros and cons of committing the crime and make a decision based on this. |
| What does Wilson note about the balance of pros and cons with relation to street crime? | The balance of pros and cons has tipped too much in favour of committing the crime (there are more pros than cons). |
| Wilson argues that formal controls were failing to combat crime. Why? | Because the police were solving too few crimes and the law and its punishments were too weak. |
| What did he note about informal social controls? | These too were breaking down - at one time, people may be deterred from crime due to the public shame and ostracisation it could result in, but the sense of community that once existed in society has been erased and thus criminals are unfazed by potential social upset. |
| Which two sociologists concocted the broken windows theory? | James Q. Wilson and George Kelling. |
| What idea does the broken windows theory put forward? | It is crucial to maintain informal social controls in order to keep crime in check. To do this, the police can clamp down on the first sign of undesirable behaviour, keeping undesirables off of the street so that law-abiding citizens feel safe. These citizens can then enjoy public spaces and can monitor the behaviour of others, putting informal pressure on them to conform. |
| Wilson and Kelling argue that if a single broken window is left unrepaired, an area will begin to deteriorate. What controversial three-part solution to they propose? | - The police should concentrate on areas that are just beginning to deteriorate and exercise a policy of zero tolerance. - They should be tough on minor offences because leaving them unpunished will let the criminals progress to more serious crime. -The areas that are 'too far gone to save' should be forgotten about. |
| Which two sociologists developed Wilson's rational choice theory? | Lawrence Cohen and Mathew Felson. |
| What theory did Cohen and Felson put forward? | The routine activities theory. |
| In most circumstances, social control mechanisms and the risk of getting caught or the simple lack of opportunity to commit crime prevents it from occurring. The routine activities theory states that in order for crime to occur, three conditions need to take place. What are they? | 1. Individuals need to be motivated to commit crime. 2. The opportunity for and/or targets of crime need to be available. 3. Preventers of crime must be absent. |
| How did Cohen and Felson describe the majority of crime? | As opportunist - when individuals who are motivated to commit crime encounter an opportunity to do so in their routine activities, they will likely choose to offend. |
| Cohen and Felson believed that three changes in the USA had led to a growth in crime. What changes were they referring to? | 1. The increase in available targets (e.g. more cars). 2. Reduced control over the behaviour of some social groups (e.g. the young). 3. The decrease in the number of preventers of crime (e.g. police). |
| What did Cohen and Felson believe the solution to crime was? | In order to reduce crime, it must become harder to commit crime. This may be through the use of improved locks and alarms systems and the employment of more preventers of crime. |
| One factor Cohen and Felson reference when explaining the increase of crime is family structure. Which new right sociologist focuses on this factor and gives it much more weight? | Charles Murray. |
| Murray argues that an underclass has developed below the main class system. This underclass is not distinguished so much by economic position, but by what? | Its attitudes and values - the underclass is defined in terms of its deviant and criminal behaviour and disregard for the law. |
| What is the cause of the growth of this class, according to Murray? | The over-generous welfare systems. |
| The underclass are dependent upon the state to provide for them and have little incentive to earn their own living. Why can this lead to crime? | The underclass find they cannot fully fund their desired lifestyles solely on their benefit cheques alone and so they turn to crime to supplement their income. |
| How are the attitudes and behaviours of the underclass continued? | They are passed from generation to generation through inadequate socialisation. |
| Some aspects of right realist thinking has been very influential. Where has 'zero-tolerance' policing been successfully used? | Extensively in America (particularly in Bratton's New York) and on occasions int the UK too. |
| What is another policy based on Wilson's broken windows theory that has been successfully used? | The implementation of ASBOs, which were introduced in the UK in 1999. ASBOs were later replaced by CRIMBOs and CPIs in 2012. |
| Right realist ideas have also been influential in encouraging the rise of the prison population. Why? | Because harsher sentences are being used in an attempt to ensure that 'crime does not pay'. |
| Some sociologists directly contradict the claims of right realists. Wilson's broken windows theory has been attacked by a handful of people. What does Roger Matthews say about the evidence of the theory? | He found little evidence that tolerating broken windows and other minor incidents has led to an increase of crime. |
| Which sociologist argues that factors such as lack of investment are far more important in determining whether a neighbourhood declines? | Stephen Jones. |
| The broken windows theory advocates for minor criminals to be heavily focused on and policed. What does Jones note about this? | It might mean that serious offenders are more likely to get away with their crimes, which is not only unjust but may result in more crimes. |
| How do left realists John Lea and Jock Young describe the policing policies advocated by right realists? | As 'militaristic' - the police act almost like an invading army. This will only antagonise and marginalise the population further and may even result in even more crime. |
| Wilson's theory that crime is simply a rational calculation has also been questioned. What do both Jack Katz and Stephen Lyng argue? | The emotional appeal or thrill of crime is important in explaining why crimes occur, particularly in explaining why non-utilitarian crimes occur. |
| Finally, Murray's theory has been heavily criticised for being based on very limited evidence. Contrary to Murray's beliefs, what does Tony Fitzpatrick argue? | There is no evidence that most benefits claimants are unwilling to work and subsequently turn to crime. Fitzpatrick claims that poverty and social exclusion are the true cause of criminality in poorer areas. |
| There are a handful of similarities between left and right realism. What are they? | - Both see crime as a real and growing problem. - Both concentrate on street crime in poor, inner-city areas. - Both have tried to influence policies and have at times been successful. - Both acknowledge that a mix of formal and informal social control is needed to reduce crime. -Both acknowledge that fear of crime is a significant issue in itself. |
| However, the differences between left and right realism are greater than the similarities. What are said differences? | - They come from opposing parts of the political spectrum and this means they see crime very differently. - Right realists focus on rational choice and deterrence while left realists see the underlying cause of crime as inequality and lack of legitimate opportunity. - Right realists advocate for harsher punishments while left realists want to tackle the underlying processes. |
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