Left Realist Explanations - Ethnicity and Offending

Who are the Left Realist sociologists in explaining ethnicity and crime?

• Lea and Young

• Fitzgerald et al

What are the 2 explanations that Left Realists use to reject the Marxist explanation for ethnicity and crime?

• 90% of crimes known to the police are reported by the public - police discriminatory practices would not affect the reports

• black people have higher rates of criminalisation than asian people - selective racism

What is Lea and Young’s explanation of Relative Deprivation as an explanation for ethnicity and crime?

sense of relative disadvantage can lead to frustration and criminal behaviour as a means of address perceived injustice

What evidence does Fitzgerald et al produce to support the explanation of Relative Deprivation?

rates of street robbery were highest in very poor areas - young deprived people came into contact with wealthier groups

• black people more likely to live in these areas and be poor - more likely to commit more crimes

How could Fitzgerald et al’s evidence to support the explanation of Relative Deprivation be criticised?

white people who lived in these poor areas were also more likely to commit street crime

• ethnicity wasn’t the cause!

black people were just more likely to live in poor areas due to racial discrimination in housing and job markets

What is Lea and Young’s explanation of Marginalisation as an explanation for ethnicity and crime?

ethnic minority groups may face social and economic marginalisation, limiting their access to legitimate opportunities

• exclusion can drive some individuals towards criminal activities to overcome their disadvantaged status

excluded - feel like police don’t stand up for them against racism and hate crimes

What an example of Social and Economic Marginalisation which inherently disadvantages young black men?

e.g. young black men are more likely to be unemployed - don’t have trade union who can stand up for their interests

How can Left Realism’s idea of relative deprivation of ethnic minorities be criticised?

fails to address the structural and systematic factors that contribute to the over representation of ethnic minorities

• focuses too much on the individual and community factors

How is Left Realist explanations of ethnicity and crime praised?

praised for its ability to addressing the fear of crime

How is Left Realist explanations of ethnicity and crime be accused of?

accused of creating a stigmatisation of marginalised communities