LEFT VS Right Realism PDF

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LECTURE NOTES ON LEFT AND RIGHT REALISM VIEWS ON CRIME...

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LEFT VS RIGHT REALISM Realist Theories see crime as a real problem that needs to be tackled and argue there has been a significant rise in crime rate – especially street crime. They are concerned about the widespread fear of crime and impact of crime on its victims and they criticise other theories saying they fail to offer realistic solutions to the problem of crime. Left realism has left wing beliefs which are usually progressive in nature, support collective rights, aim to support those who cannot support themselves, they also believe in equality. They recognise that there has been a real increase in crime rates and that disadvantaged groups have the greatest fear of crime and it has the greatest effect on their lives. They claim the best way to reduce crime is to reduce the causes of crime. Lea and Young's notion of bulimic society is a late modern, media saturated society which raises everyone’s expectation of what the good life is like. As a result the poorest, most deprived people are desperate for the trappings of our consumer culture but they cannot afford to actively participate in this type of society (people ‘gorge’ themselves on media images of expensive consumer lifestyles but are forced, by economic circumstance, to ‘vomit’ out their raised expectations). We live in a bulimic society where massive cultural inclusion is accompanied by systematic structural exclusion. Young argues that relative deprivation is intensified by three factors: 1. Growing individualism 2. The weakening of informal social control 3. Growing economic inequality and economic change This creates a ‘toxic mix’ that generates crime among young members of deprived communities – excluded from the lifestyles they aspire to they turn to ’edgework’ and crime as a way of releasing their anger and frustrations. Crime can only be tackled once we understand the interrelationships between four elements: 1. The state and its agencies 2. The public & informal methods of social control 3. The role of the victim. 4. The offender and their actions They argue that the causes of crime are:  The economic structure of society – poverty  Lea and Young used the concepts of relative deprivation, marginalisation and subculture  Crime is a rational response to the lack of legitimate opportunities and powerlessness Tackling crime:  Accountable policing - policing must be made more accountable to local communities and must deal with local concerns. Routine beat patrols are ineffective in detecting or preventing crime, and stop and search tactics cause conflict and resentment.  Tackling the structural causes of crime:  Building strong communities to work out solutions to local problems, creating community cohesion  Tackling social deprivation (youth leisure activities, reducing unemployment, improving housing)

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Intensive parenting support that gets parents and young offenders together to work out solutions, and early intervention through strategies like Sure Start to help children in the poor communities. Increase minimum wage, a fair wage to ensure people aren’t tempted to become welfare dependent

Right realists have right wing beliefs which value tradition, they are about individual rights, survival of the fittest, and they believe in economic freedom. They tend to believe they shouldn’t have to pay for someone else’s education or health service. They favoured a ‘get tough’ stance on crime, with increased use of prison (and in the USA, the death penalty) and a ‘short, sharp shock’ approach to dealing with young offenders. Right realism emphasizes the idea that individuals choose crime and must be persuaded not to. Rational choice theory adopts a utilitarian belief that man is a reasoning actor who weighs means and ends, costs and benefits, and makes a rational choice. Cornish and Clarke believe that crime is seen as ‘attractive’ by some mostly because of a “lenient” criminal justice system which offers “soft” social control which fuels others to do the same or repeat what they have done before. Wilson and Herrnstein believe that it will take a real transformation of society to bring down crime rates. They put their faith in ‘three strikes and you’re out’ and a zero tolerance of all crimes. They argue that the causes of crime are:  Reject economic factors such as poverty and unemployment as responsible for crime – they look to cultural factors, such as declining morality and respect for authority and a growing underclass 

Rational choice theory

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Broken window thesis, Wilson has argued that a minor sign of neglect could lead to a climate of disorder in which ever more serious crime became possible

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Biology - Wilson and Herrnstein suggest some people are innately more strongly predisposed to commit crime than others.

Tackling crime:  Crime can be reduced by making it a less attractive choice, target hardening (making a house or car more difficult to break into), surveillance and Neighbourhood Watch schemes. 

Situational crime prevention (Clarke 1992) aims to make potential targets of crime more difficult and risky for potential offenders by ‘designing out crime’

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Environmental crime protection (Wilson and Kelling) zero tolerance is a policing strategy that involves cracking down on minor infringements (graffiti, unlicensed street trading etc.)

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Increased social control e.g. Parenting orders and much harsher or sever sentences and punishments

Evaluation of Left Realism 

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Strengths:  It draws on a range of theories (Marxism, Strain, and Subcultural) and uses them to identify practical solutions to tackling crime.  It highlights the importance of a community solution to crime – something other theories fail to do. Weaknesses:  It ignores WCC and CC and argue that these crimes are far more damaging than street crime.  Doesn’t explain why most people from deprived backgrounds don’t turn to crime.  Consumer culture has increased in the last 20 years yet crimes rate have fallen  This approach is too soft on crime and has too much sympathy for the offender.

Evaluation of Right Realism 

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Strengths:  This approach addresses the immediate causes of crime and offers practical solutions to tackling it.  It highlights the importance of a community solution to crime – something other theories fail to do. Weaknesses:  It doesn’t the wider structural cause of crime e.g. poverty and inequality.  Many offenders don’t act rationally when they commit crime, they often act impulsively  It ignores hidden crimes such as WCC & CC and domestic violence & rape.  SCP – displaces crime (move it elsewhere) and increases inequality between those who can afford greater security measure and those who can’t.  Zero tolerance approaches wastes police resources on trivial matters and can lead to labelling and the self-fulfilling prophecy....