Realism & Right Realism

Cards (19)

  • What do right realists criticize traditional sociological theories of crime for?
    Being too theoretical and not useful
  • How do realists view crime in society?
    As a real social problem requiring solutions
  • What do right realists believe sociological theory should inform?
    Social policy
  • Who is a prominent figure associated with right realism?
    James Q. Wilson
  • What is Charles Murray's concept related to crime?
    The idea of an underclass
  • What does Murray argue the welfare state creates?
    Dependency
  • What does Murray suggest about the welfare system?
    It encourages single parenthood
  • What does right realism focus on more than the reasons for crime?
    Crime prevention and control
  • What do right realists believe helps prevent crime?
    Firm social bonds and tight-knit communities
  • What policy do right realists advocate for dealing with minor crime?
    Zero tolerance
  • What theory is associated with the idea of maintaining social order through minor crime control?
    The broken windows theory
  • What do some sociologists dispute about the New Right explanations for crime?
    They oversimplify the causes of crime
  • What percentage more likely are children from lone-parent families to commit crimes?
    10-15%
  • What type of behavior are children from lone-parent families more likely to commit?
    Low-level, anti-social behavior
  • What complicates isolating lone-parent families as a factor in crime?
    Other factors like social class and ethnicity
  • What does the view of crime as a rational choice suggest?
    People weigh community cohesion before committing crimes
  • What do post-modernist sociologists challenge about crime decision-making?
    The notion of weighing costs and benefits
  • What do post-modernist sociologists suggest about the thrill of crime?
    It can make crime more appealing
  • How do post-modernists view the relationship between danger and crime appeal?
    The bigger the danger, the more appealing the crime