Left Realists

• Matthews & Young - Left Realists 


  • Square of crime explains how crime arises at an intersection
  • Any understanding of the offender (1) and the victim (2) must also have an understanding of the general public (3) and the criminal justice system (4)
• Right realists criticise left realists for over complicating crime - Clarke would argue that the role of the offender and their lack of attachment to societal norms are the most important factors. Focusing on other elements detracts from the main problem of the offender.
• Lea & Young - Left Realists 


  Relative deprivation, marginalisation, and subculture are the factors that propel people into crime

  • Relative deprivation = subjective feeling of deprivation felt when comparing oneself to others - fuelled by media images that emphasise consumerism and create resentment in WC
  • Marginalisation = minorities feel abandoned and excluded by society, and lack power economically, socially, and politically
  • Subculture = those who share a sense of deprivation and marginalisation develop subcultures
• Right realists criticise Lea & Young for shifting the blame off the offender. Not everyone from marginalised or deprived backgrounds commits crime so it must be an individual choice.
• Young -Left Realists 


  • 1950's were the golden age of modern capitalism - period of stability, security, and social inclusion, with full employment and low divorce rates
  • Since the 1970s, instability, insecurity, and exclusion have increased due to deindustrialisation and the loss of manual jobs. Many jobs are now insecure, short term, or low paid.
  • Crime is a response to this increased marginalisation
• Marxists, like Snider, would criticise Young for failing to recognise the impact of white-collar and corporate crime. Left realists are too focused on street crime which ignores the faults of capitalism that allows inequality to exist in the first place.
• Lea & Young -Left Realists 


  • Systemic racism, particularly within the police force, leads to ethnic minority groups forming defiant subcultures who are forced to live on the edge of society