Realist Theories

Lesson Objectives

• Look at how Realist theories differ from other explanations of crime

• Introduce Left and Right Realism• Compare and Contrast LR and RR in terms of

explanations and solutions to crime• Evaluate Realist explanations

Last Lesson Recap

• What are Neo-Marxist principles based on?• How do they further previous beliefs on

crime?• What is Voluntarism and how is it linked to

crime?• Explain a fully social theory of deviance?

Realist Theories• Labelling theory and critical criminology regard crime

as socially constructed • Realists see crime as a real problem to be tackled, and

not just a social construction created by the control agencies

• Argue there has been a significant rise in crime rate – especially street crime.

• Are concerned about the widespread fear of crime and impact of crime on its victims

• Other theories fail to offer realistic solutions to the problem of crime.

We can divide realist approaches along political lines…

Left Realists Right Realists

Right Realism

• Emerged in the 1970s and 1980s with the political shift to the right (share New Right/ neo-conservative political outlook)

Margaret Thatcher

Ronald Reagan

Right Realism

These governments favoured rolling back the welfare state together with a strong commitment to law and order.

They favoured a ‘zero tolerance’ stance on crime, with increased use of prison (USA-the death penalty)

The causes of crime• RRs reject the idea that structural and

economic factors e.g. poverty and inequality cause crime (unlike which theorists?). They point out that the old tend to be poor yet have a very low crime rate.

• Crime is the product of 3 factors: biological differences, Socialisation and the underclass, and rational choice to offend

1. Biological Differences

• Crime is caused by a combination of biological and social factors• Bio differences between individuals make some

people innately more strongly predisposed to commit crime than others e.g. personality traits such as aggressiveness, extroversion, risk taking, low impulse control put some people at greater risk of offending

• Hernstein and Murray (1994) main cause of crime is low intelligence which they

also see as biologically determined

AO2:Lily et al (2002) found

differences in intelligence accounted for only 3% of

the difference in offending

2. Socialisation and the Underclass

• Primary Socialisation teaches us self control, we internalise moral values of right and wrong. The best place for this is the nuclear family.

• Murray: Nuclear Family being undermined by welfare state

• What would they say about the influence of lone parent families on crime?

2. Socialisation and the Underclass

3. Rational Choice Theory (Clark, 1980)

AO2: Conflicting views of criminals choosing crime vs. behaviour being due to biology/ socialisation

Individuals are rational beings with free will

Deciding to commit a crime is a choice based on a rational calculation of the consequences

If the rewards appear to outweigh the costs, people will be more likely to offend. Crime rate is high because perceived costs are low e.g. little risk of being caught and lenient punishments

• A similar idea to Rational Choice Theory is Felson’s routine activity theory. This states that for crime to occur there must be:

1.A motivated offender, a suitable target (victim or property) and the absence of a ‘capable guardian’ (e.g. policeman/neighbour)

2.Offenders are assumed to act rationally, so the presence of a guardian is likely to deter them (informal guardians more effective)

Which factor do you find most logical?

Which can you apply to:1.The London Riots

2.A young man robbing a Securicor van3.Raoul Moat

Summarise Page 94

So what methods do Right Realists advocate in

tackling crime?

Criticisms

• Ignores wider structural causes such as poverty

• Overstates offenders rationality and how far they make cost-benefit calculations- may explain utilitarian crime but not violent crime

• Overemphasises biological factors

• Preoccupied with petty street crime and ignores corporate crime (more costly and harmful to public)

• Advocating a zero tolerance policy gives police free reign to discriminate against ethnic minority youth/homeless et. Crime becomes displaced in other areas

• Over emphasises control of disorder, rather than tackling underlying causes of neighbourhood decline e.g. lack of investment

RR