Left realist theories of crime Flashcards
What do Lea and Young argue that the government need to understand about crime?
- crimes other than white-collar crimes are important
- crime has been rising since WWII
- being a victim of crime is a significant event
- fear of crime is real and shapes people’s lives, especially for women
Why do Lea and Young argue that the police need the public?
- to report crimes
2. to give evidence to solve crimes
How do Lea and Young argue that policing needs to change?
- consensus policing is needed - police act on the communities instructions, rather than isolation
- they should do ‘full and proper’ investigations of crime, which they think hasn’t been happening in recent years
- police need to improve detection - only 29% of crimes are detected
What is relative deprivation?
the feeling of being deprived in relation to someone else e.g the rich feel deprived next to the super rich
Why is relative deprivation helpful when explaining crime?
explains why crime happens in all social groups
What do Lea and Young argue makes relative deprivation worse?
consumer culture e.g advertising and the media
How can a rise in living standards result in a rise in crime?
people feel relative deprivation, as those around them are getting richer
Why do Lea and Young argue that criminal subcultures are a result of, but can also combat, relative deprivation?
- because they are marginalised
2. they could turn to violence to tackle inequality
How do left realists suggest crime can be reduced?
by reducing social inequality
What are the criticisms of the left realist view of crime?
- Hughes - don’t explain why some people who experience relative dep see crime as a solution and some don’t, says there’d be more crime if relative dep was the main cause
- Lea and Young didn’t collect enough data and their theory only focuses on property crime
