Realist theories Crime and deviance

Peer Marking task

By the end of this lesson you will be able to ... Identify and define the differences between realist and other approaches to crime, Identify and define the main features of left and right realist approaches to crime, their political context and the similarities and differences between them, Apply and evaluate the strengths and limitations of right and left realist approaches to crime.

Using the whiteboards write down your answers to the quiz questions

Question 1 I believed that crime had some very positive functions. Who am I ? Durkheim

Question 2 Structural Factors What factors did Merton believe made society unequal. Structural Factors

Question 3 This is one adaption to the strain of inequality identified by Merton in which individuals accept the culturally approved goals and strive to achieve them legitimately. Conformity

Question 5 Status Frustration Cohen came up with this key theory which summarises the concept deviance as a lower class phenomenon. Status Frustration

Question 6 What is the name of the subculture which provides youths with an apprenticeship for a career in utilitarian crime. Criminal

Question 7 Deviance amplification This occurs when a crime or deviant act is publicised in order to create a moral panic. Deviance amplification

Question 8 Deterministic The labelling theory has been criticised on this ground as it assumes that once labelled an individual will pursue a criminal career. Deterministic

Why people commit crime in the first place. Question 9 Although the labelling theory explains how labelling can affect and influence someone towards a life of crime, what does it fail to explain? Why people commit crime in the first place.

Realist theories of crime & deviance Different to labelling theory and critical criminology which see crime as socially constructed Crime is a real problem that need to be tackled They argues that has been a significant rise in crime rate (street crime, burglary & assault) Fear of crime Other theories fail to offer realistic solutions to the problem of crime

Emergence of realist approaches 1960’s & 70’s Thatcher (UK) Reagan (USA) These governments favoured reducing the welfare state ‘Get tough’ stance on crime Increased use of prison & death penalty in US ‘short sharp shock’ approach to youth crime

Left Vs Right realism We can divide realist approaches along political lines Right realism – share New Right and Neo- conservative political outlook Left realism – are socialists which favour different policies for reducing crime

Causes of crime

Causes of crime Right realist reject the idea put forward by Marxists and others that structural or economic factors such as poverty and inequality are the causes of crime, They will argue against the Marxist theory that the old tend to be poor yet they have very low crime rates, Thus for the right realist there are three explanations for the causes of crime: Individual Biological Differences, Inadequate socialisation and the underclass, Rational choice to offend

Reading task You will split into 3 groups and will be required to create the simplest spider diagram which look at your given topic, You will need to present your spider diagram and explain it to the rest of the group.

Criticism of right realism Ignores the wider structural causes such as poverty, Overstates offenders rationality and how far they make cost benefit calculations before committing crime, Its view that criminals are rational actors freely choosing crime conflicts with the view that their behaviour is determined by their biology and socialisation, Focus is only on petty street crime and ignores corporate crime, Zero tolerance policy gives opportunity to the police discriminate against ethnic minority youths, the homeless, etc, Over emphasises the control of disorder rather than tackling underlying causes of neighbourhood decline such as lack of investment.