Left realism

Question 1

Causes of left realism

Answer 1

Critical of marxist and neo-marxist ideas for:

• Celebrate WC deviants as revolutionary heroes
• Lack of practical policies to reduce crime.
• Failing to take victimisation seriously (most victims are poor and deprived)

Question 2

Lea and Young reasons for crime

Answer 2

• Relative deprivation (difference in wealth makes people resentful)
• Marginalisation (people feel disconnected from society no incentive to follow rules)
• Subcultures (inequality and lack of opportunity creates status frustration)

Question 3

Late modernity and Bulimic society (relative deprivation is made worse by these factors)

Answer 3

• Individualistic culture (Focus on self, weakening social bonds)
• Loss of informal control
• Growing inequalities

Question 4

Change in gap between richest and poorest

Answer 4

increased by 400% since 1874

Question 5

Changes causing the culture of the ‘bulimic society’

Answer 5

• Media saturation
• Mass consumer culture
• Cultural expectations
• Globalisation
  These factors causes growing frustration.

Question 6

Left realists ways to tackle crime

Answer 6

• Tony Blair ‘tough on crime, tough on causes of crime’ integrates left realist ideology.
• Rehabilitation of offender
• Role of victim; why are some victims and not others?

Question 7

Strengths of left realism

Answer 7

• Draws on a range of ideas such as marxist ideas, subcultural ideas and Merton’s strain and anomie.
• Doesn’t romanticize crime like Marxist do. It takes tackling crime and causes seriously.
• Sees the importance of community solutions

Question 8

Limitations of left realism

Answer 8

• Neglects other responses to relative deprivation, such as Merton’s retreatism and ritualism.
• Neglects that females are more likely to be a victim
• Neglects white collar crime
• Doesn’t explain why most of the relatively deprived don’t turn to crime