Left Realism

Question 1

Outline left realism

Answer 1

• They are socialists and argue society is unequal due the nature of capitalism and it’s inequality that brings about crime, but think that gradual changes to society and help bring equality.
• They believe crime is real, but is a result of the environment and the causes of crime are down to structural inequalities. Disadvantages groups are more likely to prone to criminality as a result but are also likely victims

Question 2

What are similarities between left and right realism?

Answer 2

• Argue that there has a been a significant rise in crime, especially street crime
• Are concerned with the widespread fear of crime and the impact of crime on victims
• Argue other theories have failed to offer realistic solution to the problem of crime

Question 3

How do left realists criticise Marxists for not taking crime seriously?

Answer 3

• Marxists have focuses on crimes of the powerful, such as corporate
• Left realists agree that it’s important, but they argue that it neglects WC crime

Question 4

How do left realists criticise Neo-Marxists for not taking crime seriously?

Answer 4

• Neo-Marxists romanticise WC criminals as Robin Hoods who steal from the rich as an act of political resistance to capitalism.
• Left realists point out that WC criminals mainly victimise other WC people

Question 5

How do left realists criticise labelling theorists for not taking crime seriously?

Answer 5

• Labelling theorists see WC criminals as victims of discriminatory labelling
• Left realists argue this approach neglects the real victims, which are WC people who suffer at the hands of criminal

Question 6

Describe the aetiological crisis

Answer 6

• Part of the left realists’ project of taking crime seriously is to recognise the real increase in crime, especially in WC crime, Young argues that this led to an aetiological crisis, where theories of crim tend to deny the increase of crime and argue that it’s a result of increased reporting, it’s a social construction
• But, left realists argue the increase was too great to be explained like this, as more people were reporting crime because there were more victims