4.1. Left Realism Flashcards
What does left realism accuse Marxism of? (4)
Romanticising w/c criminals as ‘Robin Hood’ figures attempting to defy social inequalities
Limiting w/c crime down to moral panics caused by capitalism
Failing to properly account for victims
Having no practical solutions
LR take on white-collar crime
Don’t go in to immense detail on it as they believe that most people don’t care much about it as it doesn’t affect their personal lives.
They believe white-collar and corporate crimes are a result of relative deprivation (RD)
2 key left realists
Lea and Young
3 key concepts of why propel turn to crime according to Lea and Young
Relative deprivation:
- Anyone can feel deprived as they compare themselves to others around them. This leads to wanting what you can’t have and this may be gained through criminality
Marginalisation:
- Some feel marginalised as they feel politically and financially on the edge of mainstream society, and face social exclusion through factors such as low educational achievement and unemployment.
- Marginalisation paired with RD leads to anti-social behaviour
Subcultures:
- W/C deviant subcultures emerge as solutions to RD and marginalisation
- Subcultures can be motivators for crime as they may promote offending and offer means for people to express frustration due to RD and marginalisation
2 left realist causes of crime
Late modernity and bulimic society (Young)
Toxic mix
Factors of late modern societies
Media saturated
Everyone is included in consumer culture
Constant exposure to advertising and media-generated lifestyles
Consequence of media saturation
Raises people’s expectations
Those at bottom of class structure cannot afford to actively participate in consumer society
Young’s bulimic society
People are surrounded in media images promoting ideal lifestyle but they are ‘spat out’ as they have to abolish their expectations due to material/cultural constraints
What is the toxic mix?
The toxic mix of 3 prominent features of late modernity (growing individualism, weakening of informal controls and growing economic inequality) intensifies the sense of RD and generates crime in most deprived areas
How does the toxic mix especially impact young people?
Young people in deprived communities aspire to / get involved in edgework (developed by Lyng) which involves thrill-seeking and risk-taking behaviour, which could be crime/deviance
This is because they have lack of certainty and control of their behaviour
What do left realists emphasise a need to tackle?
Emphasise a need to tackle material and cultural deprivation that generate anger and frustration
Kinsey et al’s approach to solving crime
Police need to improve clear-up rates and go spend more time investigating crime to deter offenders and restore confidence in the public that reporting a crime is actually worth it
Why do police have to resort to military-style policing (as suggesting by right realists) and why is this counterproductive?
Police have to resort to military-style policing due to lack of confidence in the police in deprived communities.
Can be counterproductive as this style results in increased antagonism (hostility) towards the police within the community
What does preventing crime involve according to left realism? (5)
Involves addressing social issues through policies such as:
- Building strong communities
- Multi-agency working where a variety of agencies (E.g. police and local council) work together with local people to tackle crime
- More democratic and community control of policing so it becomes responsive to local needs
- Improving community facilities
- Parental support
4 criticisms of left realist solutions to crime
Soft on criminals as they downplay role of offender in choosing to commit crimes
Majority of those living in deprived areas don’t turn to crime
Deflect attention away from more practical methods
Neighbourhood policies, where police have more community involvement, may be seen as extension of control/surveillance
