AQA A2 Sociology Unit 4 - Crime and Deviance - Left Realism

Young - Crime effects disadvantages groups such as;

• Elderly
• Unemployed
• Ethnic minorities

Causes of crime;

Relative Deprivation

• Lea and Young - Relatively deprived people feel resentment and so resort to crime, media makes people aware of what they haven't got
• Relative deprivation + Individualism = Crime (Individualism = breakdown of community)

Subculture

• Groups response to relative deprivation, bridging the gaps in society

Marginalisation

•  edges of society, powerless unemployed = frustration and resentment of the powerful 

Young 

• Crime increased in economic boom 1970, 50-60 crime was low 
•  ( Job insecurity and instablity =crime) 

Tackling crime - Kinsey et al

• More people need to be involved in policing the neighbourhood. Police lost support through military style policing 

Tackle structural causes of crime

• Poverty, poor housing, job crisis, tolorence towards minorities

New labour - Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime

Evaluations

• Marxism - Ignoes corporate crime
• Interactionists - does not explain motivation for crime
• Right realists - Blame lack of self control