Social Relativism In The 1960s

CRM 3301 - Take Home Midterm The 1960s “evolved into a period of extreme social disillusionment and change (Cooley, 2001, p. 159). “Assassinations of important political figures; the Vietnam War; Cuban missile crisis; [and] the Watergate Scandal” (Cooley, 2001, p. 159), created an environment for new theoretical foundations. Neo-conservative ideology emerged in the 1970s in response to the social rebellion of the 1960s. This rebellion sought to change policies in favor of economic efficiency and traditional social values. Neo-conservatism took to task the social uprising that sought to challenge conservative traditions and values. This rebellion: preached social optimism, called for improved civil rights and involved several social/political

165). The optimistic spirit led psychologists to believe that people who were traditionally deemed untreatable, could now be treated using behavioural therapies. This optimistic ideology spilled over into the criminal justice system, whereby government funding was spent on behaviour modification programs and was applied to offenders (Williams & McShane, 2010, p. 165). By the end of the decade and due to an increase in crime visibility, and thus, a lack of crime deterrence, citizens had become cynical about differential association and psychological learning theories. Subsequently, citizens also became increasingly suspicious of governmental abuse of power (Williams & McShane, 2010, p. 165). This ultimately gave rise to neo-conservatism. The fundamental ideas of New Right Criminology were: placing responsibility for crime on the individual and reasserting the importance of punishment in responding to crime. In this conception, “crime policy was properly concerned with controlling crime” (White & Haines,

RAT supported the hypothesis that increased crime rates in the United States in the 1960-70s was linked to changes in the structure and routines of US society (Felson, 2002, p. 297). Felson (2002) suggests that, “modern societies invite higher crime rates by offering to potential offenders numerous illegal opportunities” (p. 297). “Moreover, evidence continues to indicate that […] an improved economy tends to increase crime rates” (Felson, 2002, p. 298). This brought about a change in crime composition that focused on personal and household victimization. Consequently, by focusing on the crimes that impacted the daily lives of citizens, progress could be readily seen by citizens. This added to the popularity of New Right Criminological theories. RAT identifies three main elements of a crime: a likely offender, a suitable target and the absence of a capable guardian (Felson, 2002, p. 298). Citizens were called upon to act as intimate handlers and capable guardians in this theory. In this role, they were directly involved in crime deterrence, and could exercise this agency on people in their lives. RAT goes on to consider how these factors converge in space and time, and explains how the “proliferation of lightweight durable goods and a dispersion of activities away from the family