Left Realism Flashcards
How is left realism similar and how is it different from Marxism?
- similarly they see society as a unequal capitalist one
-however unlike Marxist they believe in gradual change rather than the violent overthrow of capitalism.
What are the main beliefs of left capitalism?
-they look at crime at a individual level and what factors cause an INDIVIDUAL to commit crimes
-inequality in capitalist society is the root of crime
-the main victims are the disadvantaged groups like ethnic minorities and the working class.
What did Lea and Young say that to fully understand and be able to tackle crime we need to do?
We must look at four different elements which are called the square of crime. These are the state, the public, the offender and the victim.
What did Lea and Young mean by we must look at ‘the state’ to understand crime?
As an agent of formal social control, the state decides what is criminal snd what isn’t. Therefore we must consider social forces that influence the police.
What did Lea and Young mean by we must look at ‘the public’ to understand crime?
We must consider factors that influence public attitudes and responses to crime. As the fear of stigmatisation from peer groups, family and neighbours is one of the most powerful determinants of behaviour.
What did Lea and Young mean by we must look at ‘the offender’ to understand crime?
It’s vital to consider why people offend, what motivates them and what makes them continue to commit crimes.
What did Lea and Young mean by we must look at ‘the victim’ to understand crime?
The victim must be considered as ultimately they are the ones that decide whether a crime has taken place.
What do left realists believe are the THREE causes of crime?
-relative deprivation
-subcultures
-marginalisation
What is meant by ‘relative deprivation’?
This is all about how deprived someone feels compared to another. The two factors that increase people’s sense of relative deprivation is the media as it continually aspire material possessions & society becoming more unequal due to the cuts of benefits and unemployment. Therefore many people don’t have the means to afford the sort of lifestyle that the media portrays meaning they turn to crime.
What is meant by ‘subcultures’?
For left realists a subculture is a groups way of solving the problem of relative deprivation. Some subcultures turn to crime to solve the problems. Criminal subcultures share society’s materialistic goals but because legitimate opportunities are blocked out they resort to crime, meaning crime becomes the alternative to achieving consumer goods they desire but some turn to religion instead to find comfort and an explanation for their deprivation.
What is meant by ‘marginalisation’?
-strengths: it draws attention to importance of inequality, poverty and relative deprivation
-limitation: it ignores the harm done by the powerful committing crime to the poor.
What are some evaluations of left realism?
-strengths: it draws attention to importance of inequality, poverty and relative deprivation
-limitation: it ignores the harm done by the powerful committing crime to the poor.
