Answer to Question #183874 in Sociology for Anu

Question

Explain how realist and relativist approaches look at crime, and in reference to those principles, provide one example of how they would say society should try to deter crime.

Answer 1

The relativist approach explains that the norms of an individual’s culture define their morality. Whether or not one commits a crime depends on the societal moral norms where the crime happened. The approach may deter crime by offering rehabilitation to the individual. On the other hand, the realist approach believes that one’s decision to commit a crime is rather a rational choice. According to the realist approach, a society may deter crime by emphasizing tough control measures like a zero-tolerance policy.