Left Realism Flashcards
What are the basics of REALISM in general?
Developed in 1980s when = rise in crime rates
Claim that crime = social construction, very real problem that blights people’s lives
Argues we need to ‘get real’ about crime + find practical ways to tackle it
Give 2 reason why REALISTS in general are critical of other perspectives
- Not taking crime seriously, reduces it to simplistic moral panics (Cohen)
- Romanticising criminals, labelling theory paints them as Vs, Marxism paints them as ‘Robin Hood’ figures etc
What political party is Left Realism linked to?
New Labour
What do Left Realist argue about recent changes in street crime?
= been a real increase in street crime that cannot be explained by poverty; living standards have improved
HOWEVER, agree with Marxists that S = deeply unequal + the shame/ humiliation that this can bring to individuals = explanation for cirme
How + why do Left Realists agree with the Marxist perspective c+d?
How + why to Left Realists agree with the Marxist perspective on c+d?
Agree: S = deeply unequal, the shame/ humiliation that this brings to individuals at the bottom = explanation of c
BUT argues we need to ‘get real’ on crime, wc DO commit more crime, especially black youths
Why were Lea + Young critical of OCS?
What did this lead to?
Claimed that OCS underestimated the extent of crime experiences by wc
Led to the creation of the British Crime Survey
Now called: Crime Survey for England + Wales
What are the 3 causes of crime ID by Lea +Young
- Relative deprivation
- Subcultures
- Marginalisation
Describe Lea + Young’s concept of relative deprivation
How it is a cause of crime?
= not the poverty/ deprivation as such that causes people to commit crimes
BUT whether they see themselves as deprived in comparison to others
Describe Lea + Young’s concept of subcultures
How they are a cause of crime
wc deviant subcultures emerge as groups solutions to problems emerging from social inequality
Take different forms over time + in different contexts
These can act as motivators for crime, as some wc subcultures see offending as acceptable beh
Describe Lea + Young’s concept of marginalisation
How does it cause crime?
Some groups find themselves politically + economically ‘on the edge’ of S
Through factors such as: poor educational achievement, unemployment
Give 3 strengths to Lea + Young’s work
- Explains social causes of crime + recognises that tackling crime means tackling inequalities
- Recognises important of tackling fear of crime + that most Vs = poor + wc
- Helps explain why most crime happens in deprived inner-city areas - helps explain patterns highlighted by OCS + V surveys
Give 3 criticism of Lea + Young’s work
- Marxists: don’t pay much attention to white collar + corporate crime
- Neglect other responses to relative deprivation + marginality e.g Merton’s retreats, rebellion, ritualism
- Relied on V surveys to measure extent + fear of crime, these have some problems as they tend to over-report some crimes + under report others
Do Left Realists believe it is necessary to tackle the causes of crime?
How does it do this?
Yes!
Does this by implementing social/ community crime prevention strategies
Measures are sometimes called ‘communitarianism’
What is the 1st thing to mention when talking about Farrington (2006)?
Farrington (2006) supports + builds on Lea + Young’s suggestions about the causes of crime
What type of studies did Farrington (2006) use?
To do what?
Positivistic longitudinal studies
To compare the backgrounds of young males who offended + those without a record
Found 6 main ‘risk factors’
