Left Realism

Left Realism

1. Jock Young

   • developed for the need to take rising crime seriously and to produce practical solutions
   • developed due to the influence of right realism on government policy
   • society is unequal and ruled by capitalist class
     • similar to marxists 
     • differ from marxism - reformists not revolutionists
       • believe in gradual change rather than violent overthrow of capitalism 
       • need to develop explanations of crime that will lead to practical strategies for reducing it here and now rather than to wait for a classless society to abolish crime

2. Taking crime seriously

   • Marxists - concentrate on corporate crime; neglects working class crime
   • Neo-marxists - romanticise working class criminals; whereas they victimise other working class people
   • Labelling theorists - see working class criminals as victims of discriminatory labelling; neglects the real victims (working class who suffer at the hands of criminals)
   • crime has risen since 50s has led to aetiological crisis (view it as report in w/c crime has increased and not a real increase)
     • increase is too great to be explained this way = real increase
       • use victim surveys for evidence

3. Causes of crime