Left realism/ Neo-Marxists ethnicity

• Who are the left realists mentioned in the study material?

  Lea and Young
• What do left realists argue about official statistics on offending?

  They represent real differences in offending
• Why do ethnic minorities commit more crime according to left realists?

  Due to marginalization and relative deprivation
• How does consumerism affect ethnic minorities according to left realists?

  It increases feelings of relative deprivation
• What crime might young unemployed black males commit to overcome feelings of relative deprivation?

  Theft to acquire consumer goods
• What do Lea and Young argue about police racism and offending differences?

  It cannot explain differences between ethnic groups
• What stereotype affects police perceptions of blacks and Asians?

  Blacks are seen as dangerous, Asians as passive
• How have stereotypes changed since 9/11 according to the study material?

  Asians are now also seen as dangerous
• Who argues that the idea of black criminality is a myth?

  Paul Gilroy
• What does Gilroy suggest about the crimes of ethnic minorities?

  They are a form of political resistance
• What historical context does Gilroy relate to the crimes of ethnic minorities?

  Roots in struggles against British imperialism
• How does Gilroy view the criminalization of ethnic minorities?

  As a result of acting on racial stereotypes
• What criticisms do Lea and Young have against Gilroy's theory?

  First-generation immigrants were law-abiding
• What is the nature of most crime according to Lea and Young?

  It is intra-ethnic
• Who argues that there was a moral panic over black 'muggers' in the 1970s?

  Stuart Hall et al.
• What did Hall et al. suggest was the cause of the moral panic in the 1970s?

  To distract from the capitalist crisis
• How did the media contribute to the moral panic according to Hall et al.?

  By exaggerating coverage of 'mugging'
• What was the effect of the moral panic on policing according to Hall et al.?

  Increased targeting of black offenders
• What do Hall et al. argue about the lifestyle of some black youth?

  It led to hustling and petty crime
• What contradiction do Downes and Rock point out in Hall et al.'s argument?

  They claim crime was rising and not rising
• What do Hall et al. fail to show regarding the moral panic?

  How it was linked to the capitalist crisis
• What are the two main sociological explanations for ethnic differences in offending?

  • Neo-Marxism: Statistics are socially constructed due to racism.
  • Left Realism: Statistics reflect real differences in offending rates.