Left realism's view on crime

Question 1

What was lea and Young’s study ?

Answer 1

Identified three causes of crime:
- relative deprivation
- marginalisation
- subcultures

Question 2

What is relative deprivation ?

Answer 2

• Comparing yourself to others in society
• As society has become wealthier the gap between ‘haves’ and ‘have not’s’ has grown
• We are encouraged to become more like the people who ‘have’ a lot
• Media fuels this as it promotes materialisation

Question 3

What is Marginalisation ?

Answer 3

• Those on the edge of society who don’t have any goals or ambitions
• Those who are marginalised may feel abandoned, experiencing social and economic deprivation

Question 4

What is subcultures in Lea and Young’s study ?

Answer 4

• used to refer to a group with set norms and values
• A response to unachievable norms
• Linked to the other two as frustration to this lifestyle as a way to cope

Question 5

What was Matthews and Young’s study ?

Answer 5

The Square of crime
- crime is an intersection of all 4 elements
1. Criminal justice system
2. Criminal offender
3. General public
4. Victim of crime

Question 6

What was Young’s study ?

Answer 6

The exclusive society
- society economically excludes a large amount of people
- as economic exclusion increases so does social exclusion
- this breaks the community down which increases crime
- Society s becoming less tolerant which leads to harsher reactions towards the excluded

Question 7

What are the evaluation’s of the left realist view of crime ?

Answer 7

• feminist - don’t consider the influence of a patriarchal society
• right realist - fails to consider individuals and they make a choice to commit a crime. Says left realist look to much at societies influence