Left-Realist theories

Question 1

What do left realist theories say about crime and deviance?

Answer 1

Left realism was founded by Lea & Young (1984)
They aimed to remove abstract conflict ideas from Marxist and neo-Marxist theories, to give a more concrete and practical understanding of C&D

Question 2

What are some of the key issues with older left-wing theories that they identify?

Answer 2

• They celebrate working-class deviants as revolutionary heroes
• Their research suggests most people don’t care about white-collar or corporate crime
• They don’t think most blue-collar crimes are the fault of the offender
• They blame inequality, poverty and neglect for working-class crime
• They suggest policies should focus on education and
  opportunities in deprived communities before punishment

Question 3

What is relative deprivation?

Answer 3

The increasing difference in wealth and opportunity makes many people resentful and angry

Question 4

What is marginalisation?

Answer 4

Poor, ethnic minority, working-class and low-education people feel disconnected from society
They have no incentive to follow rules made by people who don’t represent or understand them
They can easily get angry about being forgotten and turn to violence, rioting, anti-social behaviour

Question 5

What are subcultures?

Answer 5

Inequality and lack of opportunity creates status frustration, particularly for young people
They are often driven to illegal behaviour

Question 6

What is Young’s (2003) “bulimic society”?

Answer 6

1. Young says modern societies are saturated with media influence
2. We’re all forced to binge information and advertising
3. Adverts and celebrities show “ideals” most of us will never achieve, and this leads to frustration
4. When people realise they can’t satisfy the capitalist ideal, they purge their frustrations, becoming aggressive, antisocial and/or deviant

Question 7

What does Young highlight as responsible for relative deprivation?

Answer 7

Individualist culture - capitalism, humanism, libertarianism, and identity politics all focus on the self above all others
Loss of informal control - families are spreading out as the young often can’t afford to live where they grew up
Economic/financial inequality - the gap from richest to poorest in the UK has increased by more than 400% since 1974

Question 8

What are the four elements of Lea & Young’s Square of Crime?

Answer 8

1. Structural & Formal Control Factors - actions of official control agencies
2. Public & Informal Control Factors - reactions of communities to C&D
3. Role of Victims - why do some people become victims while others don’t, will they report anything
4. Role of Offenders - does the offender feel guilt, are they acting selfishly, are they marginalized, are they a member of a deviant subculture