Crime - Left realists Flashcards
Who were the left theorists who studied crime?
Lea & Young, Young & Matthew’s, Kinsey, Lea & Young.
What did Lea and Young believe caused crime?
A ripple effect in Relative deprivation, Marginalisation, and subcultures.
How did they suggest relative deprivation caused crime?
They believed that advertising made us aware of what we couldn’t afford. The media has caused a rise in crime as we are now forced to see and want things we cant afford.
This creates a growing gap between the rich and poor, the poor envy the rich and begin to despise them for having access to things they can’t afford.
How does marginalisation contribute to crime?
Marginalisation is the affect of being pushed to the edge of society, and rejected by wider society.
White + black WC youths are marginalised by schools, low wages, stop & searches ect.
How do subcultures contribute to crime?
Subcultures (gangs) form as a result of marginalisation.
Gangs help black working class youths who have the same goals as white youths, but are denied the opportunity to achieve it.
What are the evaluations of Lea and Youngs theory?
- It fails to explain why some people who face relative deprivation turn to crime, and why others don’t.
- Assumes subcultures have shared values, and that crime only happens when these break down.
- Outdated
What was Young and Matthew’s theory on controlling crime?
Community intervention.
How do they propose we can control crime?
- Not by improving the efficiency of the police, but by improving social inequality. For example, reducing unemployment and improving housing estates: Create a sense of connection & belonging to help reduce crime
- Building a skatepark. Providing young people with a space of their own that they can look after and take care of. This can help them feel a sense of community and less of a sense of marginalisation from wider society.
What are the evaluations of Young and Matthew’s?
- Dorset police commander showed that crime dropped by 19% since the completion of the dorchester skate park, and also by 33% in the general area.
What did Kinsey, Lea and Young study?
The relationship between the public and police.
How do they propose we can control crime?
- They said that if the public don’t trust the police, they won’t relay information onto them.
- Without help from the public, the police are then forced to resort to militant policing, for example, stop and searches.
- This makes them seem more hostile, and creates an uncomfortable relationship with the public.
- They argued that the police should spend more time tailing major crime instead of minor crime. For example, sexual abuse, coorperate crime, racially motivated assaults.
What are the evaluations of Kinsey, Lea and Young?
- They’re too soft on criminals, and don’t suggest how they should be dealt with.
- Too much focus on inner city crime rates. Makes the problem look worse.
- Drew attention to the reality of street crime and its effects.
