strengths and weaknesses of left realism

Question 1

STRENGTH: what does it draw the importance to the issues of, link to GRAVE

Answer 1

poverty and relative deprivation as the underlying causes of crime
STRENGTH BECAUSE:
- considers social reasons for crime
- applicable: can put interventions in place to address root causes

Question 2

STRENGTH: what does it recognise

Answer 2

multiple causes of crime (relative deprivation, marginalization and subcultures)
STRENGTH BECAUSE:
- gives holistic view
- bigger picture, not one single cause

Question 3

STRENGTH: what theories is it simillar to

Answer 3

mertons strain theory/capitalism is criminogenic
STRENGTH BECAUSE:
- other theories produce same explanation
- explains crimes is a response to not being able to achieve societal goals due to blocked opportunity’s

Question 4

WEAKNESS: what does it overpredict, link to GRAVE

Answer 4

the amount of working class crime
THIS IS A WEAKNESS BECAUSE:
- accepts offical stats
- fails to consider how ofical stats are impacted by labelling
- invalid - doesnt consider dark figure. not true picture

Question 5

WEAKNESS: what crimes do left realists not account for

Answer 5

Middle class crime
WEAKNESS BECAUSE:
- say crime is due to inequality causing poverty/relative deprivation
- doesn’t explain why middle class commit crime - not relatively deprived or marginalised

Question 6

WEAKNESS: how is it deterministic

Answer 6

not everyone in poverty experiences relative deprivation/is marginalised
WEAKNESS BECAUSE:
- deterministic
- assumes everyone in poverty will commit crime
- ignores free will