Crime: Left realism and Right realism

Question 1

What is a left realist’s key belief?

Answer 1

They see society as unequal capitalist one

Question 1

What are the 3 causes of crime which left realists believe?

Answer 1

Relative deprivation
Subculture
Marginalisation

Question 1

What is relative deprivation and how does this result in crime?

Answer 1

Lea and Young argue that people feel deprived to the things they do not have to other similar groups (eg working class to middle class). As a result people are going to result in strain, anomie (synoptic link of Merton) this will result in crime.

Question 2

What is subculture and how does this result in crime?

Answer 2

They saw subculture as the collective solution to a groups problems. Thus, if a group of individuals share a sense of relative deprivation, they will develop lifestyles that allow them to cope with this [problem. However, a particular subculture is not an automatic, inevitable response to a situation. Human creativity will allow a variety of solutions to be produced.

Question 3

What is marginalisation and how does this result in crime?

Answer 3

Are those that lack organisations to represent their interests in political life

Question 4

How does a media saturated society engage in relative deprivation?

Answer 4

promotes consumerism via false needs, synoptic link to Merton.

Question 5

What is relative deprivation downwards?

Answer 5

When a group feels deprived compared to a group that has less than them. eg Middle class to working class potentially due to welfare benefits of middle class having to pay more tax for example.

Question 6

What is a solution that helps in which left realists argue?

Answer 6

Sure start centres from New labour, Youth leisure centres.