Left realism

• Someone with a left realist view suggests that the impact of society, especially deprivation, causes crime
• Left realists have a left wing, socialist political outlook. They see inequality in capitalist society as capitalism causes inequality.

  -argue that the main victims are disadvantages groups (w/c, ethnic minorities and women)

  -Lea and Young suggest 'relative deprivation' -media shows people in society what others have which makes them feel deprived.

  -Subcultures form to give people a sense of belonging- can lead to crime to achieve the capitalist dream

  -Evidence that police take crimes against these groups less seriously
• Lea and Young (1984) argue there are 3 main causes of crime


  1.Relative deprivation

  2.Subculture

  3.Marginalisation
• Relative deprivation- 2 factors which increase this

  
  

  1. The media continually pump out messages urging everyone to aspire to material possessions, promoting a 'culture hooked on Gucci, BMW, Nikes'.

  2. Society is becoming more unequal due to cuts in benefits, unemployment, job insecurity and low pay.
• Relative deprivation


  -At one extreme, many people now have no chance of ever affording the sort of lifestyle the media portrays. At the other extreme, footballers, bankers and other receive what many regard as undeservingly high rewards.

  -Due to this perceived unfairness, some resort to crime to obtain what they feel they should be rightfully theirs =.
• Subculture 


  -Subculture is a group's way of solving the problem of relative deprivation. Some subcultures turn to crime to solve the problem.

  -Criminal subcultures share society's materialistic goals, but because legal methods are blocked, they resort to crime.

  -Inner city youths may find they are denied access to well paid jobs, because of discrimination of the poor quality of education they have received. Crime then becomes an alternative means of achieving the consumer goods they desire.

  -However, not all subcultures turn to crime, some may turn to religion.