LEFT REALISM Flashcards
What do LR’s say about white collar and corporate crime?
Significant but they argue that left thinkers exaggerate these types of crime and ignore other crimes.
What is the ‘square of crime’? Who talks about this?
Matthews and Young.
Important reminder to criminologists that crime arises at an intersection.
What are the four squares of crime?
- Criminal Justice System.
- Criminal Offender.
- Victim of Crime.
- General Public.
What must any understanding of the roles of the offender and the victim be?
Put with an understanding of the role of public opinion and informal control.
What did Young state about relative deprivation?
Society excludes people. This leads to the breakdown of communities and families and an increase of crime.
What does Young think this will lead to?
A less tolerant society and people react more harshly to those excluded.
What happens to people that are alienated according to Young?
Tend to be blamed for criminal activity, making people fear them more, leading to further and further divisions.
How are left realists criticised?
- Lack of evidence on the motives of offenders.
- Focus on practical solutions are seen as unrealistic.
Lea & Young - three concepts.
- Relative Deprivation.
- Marginalisation.
- Subculture.
Lea & Young - Relative Deprivation.
Feelings of deprivation which people may experience when they compare themselves to others in society.
Lea & Young - marginalisation & subculture.
Marginalisation: those on the edges of society.
Subculture: those who share a sense of deprivation and frustration will develop lifestyles.
Criticism - Marxism.
Marxists argue that these policies may tackle deprivation but they do not tackle the underlying structural inequalities in the Capitalist system which are the root cause.
Criticism - class.
Such approaches target working class, inner city communities and do not tackle elite crime.
