You're listening to CSS Breakdown: Book by Book — Season 2. This season, we're exploring Roger Hopkins Burke’s ‘An Introduction to Criminological Theory.’ In Episode 3, we take a closer look at Populist Conservative Criminology and the emergence of Right Realism — a political and ideological shift that reshaped how crime and justice were approached in the late 20th century."

In Episode 3, we continue our deep dive into the rational actor model with a focus on Populist Conservative Criminology and the rise of Right Realism as outlined by Roger Hopkins Burke.

This episode explores the ideological shift brought by the "new political right" in the 1970s and 1980s in the US and UK. Thinkers like James Q. Wilson advocated for crime control policies based on the belief that criminals choose to commit crime and must be deterred through visible policing and strict punishment.

We’ll examine how this school of thought:

Rejects explanations of crime based on social disadvantage or psychological predisposition

Prioritizes public order and deterrence over rehabilitation

Influenced policies like zero tolerance policing and increased incarceration

We also reflect on the key criticisms of right realism, including its narrow focus on street crime and failure to address deeper socioeconomic causes of criminal behavior.

Perfect for CSS aspirants and students of criminology, this episode connects political ideology with practical policy shifts in the criminal justice system.

Welcome back to Season 2 of CSS Breakdown: Book by Book. In this season, we're exploring Roger Hopkins Burke’s ‘An Introduction to Criminological Theory.’ In Episode 2, we turn to the foundations of the rational actor model—examining the classical school of criminology and its modern revival through populist conservative thinking.

In this episode, we explore the Classical and Populist Criminology models outlined in Roger Hopkins Burke’s An Introduction to Criminological Theory.

We begin with the Classical School, led by thinkers like Cesare Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham, who emphasized free will, rationality, and the pleasure–pain principle. Their ideas laid the groundwork for criminal justice systems based on deterrence, fixed penalties, and proportionality—replacing arbitrary punishments with legal structure and logic.

Next, we delve into the Neo-Classical School, which introduced flexibility by considering circumstances like mental illness, age, and intent—leading to more nuanced sentencing.

Finally, we examine Populist Conservative Criminology, or Right Realism—a modern revival that stresses strict crime control, deterrence, and zero tolerance. We critique its approach to punishment, its focus on street crime over structural causes, and its implications for public policy.

Whether you’re preparing for CSS exams or seeking a deeper understanding of criminal justice ideologies, this episode connects foundational theory with its evolving real-world application.

Welcome to Season 2 of CSS Breakdown: Book by Book. This season, we’re exploring the influential work‘An Introduction to Criminological Theory’ by Roger Hopkins Burke. In Episode 1, we begin with Chapter 1 — ‘Criminological Theory: Crime and Modernity.’ Let’s dive into the roots of modern criminology and how crime has been theorized across different models and eras.

In this first episode of Season 2, we begin our journey through An Introduction to Criminological Theory by Roger Hopkins Burke. Chapter 1 lays the groundwork for understanding how crime is defined and theorized in the context of modernity.

We explore the book’s three central models of criminal behavior:

🔹 The Rational Actor

🔹 The Predestined Actor

🔹 The Victimized Actor

The episode also reflects on how these models emerged in response to historical shifts—from Enlightenment thinking to sociological positivism—and how contemporary criminology now includes overlooked areas like corporate crime and social exclusion.

Tune in to build a strong theoretical foundation for your CSS preparation, academic learning, or personal understanding of crime and justice in today’s world.

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