Left Realism - Causes of crime Flashcards
What is the Left Realist aim with crime
Gradual change through practical solutions to decrease inequality and not waiting for a revolution to abolish it
What do Left Realists believe
Crime is a REAL problem: 1950s crime has increased, especially in WC
Rise explained by labelling
Disadvantaged groups more likely to be Vs - especially of burglary, street crime and violence
How do Left Realists criticise marxism
Say that they focus too much on crimes of the powerful, ignoring real WC crime and its effects
How do Left Realists criticise Neo-marxists
Say they romanticise WC criminals as committing to redistribute wealth and ignore intraclass crime
How do Left Realists criticise labelling theorists
Say that they see criminals as victims of labelling and ignores real victims which are usually WC
What are the three causes of crime according to LR
Relative Deprivation
Subcultures
Marginalisation
What is meant by Relative Deprivation
Relative Deprivation contributes to crime:
How deprived someone feels compared to someone else
Can cause people to resent others and commit crime to achieve what they feel they are ‘entitled’ to
What is the ‘lethal combination’ with Relative Deprivation
Relative Deprivation and individualism - when people pursuit self-interest at the expense of others
How has Late modernity - Young - caused an increase in crime
Media has increased relative deprivation amongst all social classes
Cultural inclusion - media saturated late modern society encourages everyone to consumer materialistic items
Economic exclusion - Due to unemployment and welfare cuts in LM society, not all groups can afford to consumer
What is relative deprivation up
WC commit crime for financial gain by feeling relatively deprived compared to those who have more than them
What is relative deprivation down
MC growing resentful to ‘underclass’ living on benefits who they view as lazy and living off taxes = increased crime
Which functionalists talk about Subcultures
Merton, Cohen, Cloward and Ohlin
What is the LR version of subcultures as a result of crime from the functionalists theories
Subcultures form a collective solution to relative deprivation
When someone cannot gain status legitimately they join a subculture to gain it illegally (committing crime)
Different subcultures have different responses - not all turn to crime e.g some turn to religion
(shows both non utilitarian and utilitarian)
What is the 3rd LR cause of crime
Marginalisation
What is marginalisation as a cause of crime theory
Groups such as workers have clear goals and organisations to help them achieve this (unions) so do not need to resort to crime
Marginalised groups (unemployed youths) do not have help from organisations or clear goals
This marginalisation, lack of goals and feeling of powerlessness to improve there position leads to committing crime to express frustration (non utilitarian)
