Left Realism by Chuko - please give me feedback or comment

Left Realism

Emerged in 1980’s as a reaction to left idealist and right realist approaches to crime in modern society.
Jock young was the key thinker and the view was expressed in ‘What is to be done about law & order’ - Lea & young.
They tried to focus on the reality of crime especially street crime which they see as ‘the most transparent of all injustices’.
For Left realists crime requires an examination of the following:


1. The victims – They look at public’s fear of crime through victim surveys as it ‘allows us to give voice to the experience of people’. It is disadvantaged groups living in inner city areas that are more at risk of street crime and are more affected by petty theft as they live in relative poverty.
2. The offenders – accept the picture of offenders created by official statistics.
Relative deprivation- people see themselves as deprived in comparison to other people. 1970’s = growth in relative deprivation. This causes discontent which CAN be expressed through crime along with many other ways.
Marginalisation – individuals or certain groups of people feel separate from wider society. They feel as thought they have no importance and don’t count for much
Subcultures – a group of people who have a culture that is different from that of the wider society to which they belong
3. The State and formal control – good policing can play an important role in reducing crime.
4. The public and informal control – Multi-agency intervention is needed. Local authorities must coordinate their various departments; housing, education and social services to rebuild disintegrating communities.

Criticism

Positive –
It has highlighted the causes and problems of street crime that affect the weaker members of society
It includes other concepts such as relative deprivation and marginalisation
Has had effect on institutions, police in particular, therefore it must be useful

Negative –
The idea that society has a collective conscience can be questioned
It focuses too much on street crime and doesn’t explain such crimes as murder and rape
Disregards female crime
Fails to explain the causes of street crime