Right realism

• What part of sociology is right realism a part of

  The new right
• Who and why do right realists believe commit crime

  • Crime is more likely to be committed by people from the lowest socioeconomic backgrounds
  • crime is a product of a deficient culture which causes proneness to deviance
  • crime and criminality is associated with the dysfunctional groups of society
• What are the reasons put forwards by right realists for why some people are prone to criminal/deviant activity

  • The biological theory
  • Control theory
  • rational choice theory
  • Underclass theory
• Explain the biological theory - right realism

  • some people are prone to criminal behaviour because they may inherit certain behavioural or personality disorders that make them act that way
  • genetics can predispose people to specific personality traits
  • some argue that there is a gender link - men are more likely to be aggressive because of their high levels of testosterone
  • if people have low intellect they are less able to assess the consequences of their actions
• Explain control theory - right realism

  • Institutions which used to encourage a sense of social cohesion have lost their authority
  • more people nowadays come from broken homes or dont live close to their family
  • people used to be more religious which led them to fear sinning and hell
  • the justice system has also weakened with people no longer fearing the police or punishments they may give out
  • people now have fewer regulations over their behaviour so are more likely to commit crime
• Explain rational choice theory - right realism

  • People deliberately commit crimes after making a rational decision based on weighing up the costs and rewards
  • this referred to as the cost-benefit analysis
  • If the rewards outweigh the possible risks, people are more likely to commit a crime
  • e.g pickpockets observe people in a public place to look for distracted victims whose possessions are easily accessible to steal
• Explain the routine theory - rational choice theory (right realism)

  • What factors criminals consider rationalising to commit a crime or not
  • are they feeling motivated enough?
  • is there a suitable target for them to pursue?
  • is there an absence of a capable guardian? (someone that can cause the offender to be caught and punished)
• Explain the underclass theory - right realism

  • There is a growing underclass within society which is the root cause of many social problems
  • the underclass is made up of single mothers and their illegitimate children
  • these families are workshy and welfare dependent
  • single mothers do a poor job of socialising their children so they grow up to be deviant and disrespectful
  • the lack of a father figure means they are poorly disciplined which causes boys to gravitate towards deviant subcultures
• What are the right realist solutions for reducing crime

  • Reducing the likelihood of being a target
  • Tackling the perpetrators harshly
• What are the ways that areas can reduce the likelihood of being a target for crime

  • Environmental crime prevention
  • Situational crime prevention
• Explain environmental crime prevention - right realism solution

  • If an area gets run down, this will make the area attractive to criminals
  • environmental crime prevention is where a community works together to care for the appearance of a local area
• Explain situational crime prevention - right realist solution

  • In order to prevent crime prospective targets need to make themselves harder to access
  • ’designing out crime’
  • people should ensure that their properties are as secure as possible as it will mean the offender is less likely to target it
• Explain tackling the perpetrators harshly - right realism solution

  • Zero tolerance policing involves law enforcement staff going in hard on criminals, even for those who commit the most minor crimes
  • if the police are seen as to be coming down on minor crimes it will eventually lead to a reduction in more serious crimes
  • they also believe that prison sentences for serious crimes should be much tougher
• What is the difference between right and left realism

  • Right realists blame individuals lack of self control where as left realists blame structural inequalities and relative deprivation
  • right realists propose harsh solutions that prioritise social order where as left realists propose reducing the inequalities instead