Left realism developed in response to the influence of right realism on crime policy. It views crime as a real problem that disproportionately affects disadvantaged groups. Left realists believe the main causes of crime are relative deprivation, subcultures that form in response to deprivation, and marginalization. They argue that crime can only be addressed by tackling its deeper structural roots in inequality and lack of opportunity, in addition to improving community policing.

1. Left realism
On Crime and Deviance

2. The key figure is Jock Young.
Left realism developed because…
• There was a strong need to find a practical solution
for crime
• The influence of right realism on government policy
was strong
They believe society is an unequal, capitalist one. But,
they are reformist socialists, and so believe in a
gradual change, rather than a violent overthrow.

3. Taking crime seriously
• Left realists believe crime is a real problem which
particularly affects the disadvantaged groups. They
accuse other sociologists of not taking crime
seriously.
Traditional Marxists Neo-Marxists Labelling Theorists
They only concentrate
on crimes of the
powerful, and neglect
working class crime
and it’s effects.
They romanticise
working class
criminals as Robin
Hoods, when they
victimise other
working class people,
not the rich.
They see working class
criminals as the victims of
labelling by social control
agents, and so neglect the
real victims of crime.

4. • Young says the increase in crime rates has led to
an aetiological crisis (a crisis in explanation of
crime). Other theorists deny the increase in crime is
real; they believe it is due to an increase in the
report of crime or labelling of the poor.
• Left realists say more people are reporting crime
because more people are falling victim to it.

5. evidence
• They use surveys as evidence. Local surveys
indicated more crime than official statistics. They
also showed that disadvantaged groups are more
likely to be victims, so they have a greater fear of
crime. However, they are less likely to report crime
which could be due to the fact that they are less
likely to have their problems dealt with by the police.

6. The causes of crime
Lea and Young identify three related causes of
crime…
• Relative deprivation
• Subculture
• Marginalisation

7. Relative deprivation
• They believe deprivation isn’t the direct cause – living
standards have risen since the 1950s, but so have
crime rates. Lea and Young explain this paradox that
society is more prosperous but more crime ridden.
They say the media and advertisements raise the
expectations of those who can’t afford material goods
and to obtain them, have to resort to crime.
• Runciman refers to how deprived someone feels in
relation to others or their own expectations. This leads
to crime in order to obtain what they feel they are
entitled to.

8. Relative deprivation
• Young says: “the lethal combination is relative
deprivation and individualism”
• This causes crime by encouraging the pursuit of self
interest at the expense of others. An increase in
individualism causes the disintegration of families
and communities by undermining the values of
mutual support and selflessness. This weakens the
informal controls that such groups exercise over
individuals, creating a spiral of increasing crime and
aggression.

9. subculture
• (Left realists owe much to Merton, Cloward and Ohlin and Cohen for
identifying this as a cause)
• For left realists, a subculture is a group’s collective
solution to the problem of relative deprivation.
Different groups produce different subcultural
responses to this problem. For example, some turn
to crime to close the ‘deprivation gap’, whilst others
find religion offers spiritual comfort and ‘theodicy of
disprivilege’ (Weber).
• They think subcultures still subscribe to the values
and goals of mainstream society but can’t achieve
them legitimately.

10. marginalisation
• Unlike workers, unemployed youths lack clear goals
and organisations to represent their interests. They
are marginalised and so have a sense of resentment
and frustration which they express through criminal
acts. Due to being powerless, they can’t improve
their position.

11. Late modernity, exclusion
and crime
• Young says we are now living in the stage of society where
instability, insecurity and exclusion make the problem of crime
worse. This contrasts to the 1950s/60s ‘Golden Age’ society
which had a general consensus.
• De-industrialisation has increased; many jobs were short-term,
low paid and insecure. These changes destabilised families
and community life which led to an increase in divorce rates
(as have New Right policies). This in turn led to an increase in
marginalisation and exclusion of those ‘at the bottom’.

12. Late modernity, exclusion
and crime
Meanwhile, greater inequality between rich and poor and the
spread of free market values encouraging individualism have
increased since the sense of relative deprivation. Young also
notes the growing contrast between cultural inclusion and
economic inclusion as a source of relative deprivation…
• Media-saturated late modern society promotes cultural
inclusion: even the poor have access to the media’s materialistic
, consumerist messages.
• There is greater emphasis on leisure, which stresses personal
consumption and immediate gratification.
• The poor are systematically excluded from opportunities to gain
the ‘glittering prizes of a wealthy society’ despite the
meritocracy ideology.

13. Late modernity, exclusion
and crime
• Young’s contrast is similair to Merton’s ‘notion of anomie’ that
society creates crime by setting cultural goals but denying
people the opportunity to achieve them legitimately.
• Another trend is the relative deprivation is generalised
throughout society. There is widespread resentment at the
undeservedly high rewards that some receive. Also, there is
‘relative deprivation downwards’ where the middle class were
disciplined and had to work hard to succeed in their competitive
work environment and so resent the stereotypical underclass as
idle, irresponsible and hedonistic and see them as living off
undeserved state handouts.

14. Late modernity, exclusion
and crime
The result of this trend towards exclusion is that the amount and types
of crime are changing in late modern society.
• Firstly, crime is more widespread and is found increasingly throughout
the social structure.
• Crime is nastier; there has been an increase in ‘hate crime’ and it is
often the result of relative deprivation downwards (e.g. racist attacks
against asylum seekers)
• Reactions to crime by the public and the state are changing. Society
is more diverse and there is less public consensus on right and wrong
(blurred boundaries)
• Informal controls become less effective as families and communities
disintegrate.
These factors make the public more intolerant and leads to demands for
harsher formal controls.

15. Tackling crime
• Left realists also aim to devise solutions to the
problem of crime. They believe we must…
• Improve Policing and Control
• Deal with the Deeper Structural Cases of Crime

16. Policing and control
Kinsey, Lea and Young argue that police clear-up rates are too
low to act as a deterrent to crime. They also argue police spend
too little time investigating crime. They believe the public must
become more involved in determining the police’s priorities and
style of policing.
(AO2 marks: Nottingham police have become the first to use an online rate system –
you can rate the police out of 5 stars).
The police depend on the public to provide them with crime
information, but they are losing public support, especially in inner
cities and amongst ethnic minorities and youth. So, the flow of
information dries up which means the police have resorted to
‘military policing’ (‘swamping’ areas and random stop and
searches). This results in a vicious circle… The public lose faith in
the police  they don’t report crime  the police swamp areas,
so certain people/communities feel victimised  people don’t

17. Policing and control
So, policing needs to be made more accountable to
local communities and deal with local concerns. Their
relationship with local communities needs to improve
by spending more time investigating crime and
changing their priorities.
However, left realists believe a ‘multi-agency’
approach is needed.

18. Tackling the structural
cases
Left realists thing the causes of crime lie in the
unequal structure of society and major structural
changes are needed.
Young says we must deal with the unequal
opportunities available to locals, the unfairness of
rewards and discrimination. To do this, we should
provide decent jobs for everyone, improve housing
and community facilities, be tolerant of diversity and
cease stereotyping.

19. Government policy
Left realists have had the most influence on
government policy and can be compared to New
Labour.
For example Labour’s firmer approach to hate crimes
(sexual assaults, domestic violence e.g.) echo left
realists concerns to protect vulnerable groups from
crime. Also, Labour’s ‘New Deal’ and anti-truancy
policies attempt to reverse the exclusion of the young
people who may be at risk of offending. But, Young
says these policies are nostalgic and doomed
attempts to recreate the 1950s ‘Golden Age’.

20. Government policy
However, the ‘New Deal’ introduced by New Labour
does not lead to secure, permanent jobs and ASBOs
don’t recreate good neighbourhoods or a sense of
community.
Young criticises the record of government including
New Labour. He says only symptoms have been dealt
with, not the underlying causes of crime.

21. Evaluation
• Henry and Milovanovic argue it accepts the authorities definition of crime
as being street crime committed by the poor.
• Marxists argue it ignores the powerful as actors of crime and corporate
crime.
• Interactionists say left realists only use quantitative data, and so can’t explain
motives behind crime
• They assume value consenus and that crime only occurs when this is broken
down,
• Not all those who experience relative deprivation commit crime.
• Their view is unrepresentative; by focusing on high-crime, inner city areas,
crime seems a bigger problem than it actually is.

22. comparing
Left Realism Right Realism
Similarities See crime as a real
problem and the fear
of it as rational.
Differences Blame structural
opportunities and
relative deprivation
Prioritise justice and
gender equality
Blame individual lack
of self control
Prioritise social order
and believe in tougher
punishments