The theory of the left realism was originally generated by Jock Young in 1988 where the main aim of the left realism was to be able to avoid what was usually seen as being the worst excesses of both the left idealist and the right idealist approaches to the crime problem which is commonly found in the modern society of today. The right realism was often accused of both the distortion and the dramatization of the problem nature with a sick society talk, crime rates which are out of control and an increase in the moral decay. The left realism on the other hand, was accused of neglecting the crime by not taking the crime seriously by reducing the crime into an ideological distortion on the behalf of the state, where the crime which is committed by the people who are in the working class against other people of the same class is viewed as being a first order problem because of its growing impact on the working class communities
Marxist writers such as Chambliss suggest that the majority of the working-classes are exploited by the owners of big businesses and the government. This leads to the creation of laws that appear to benefit the working-class and benefit the ruling classes. Chambliss suggests that this conflict culture that has emerged from capitalism encourages crime. Hegdige said that Capitalist societies lead to greed within the ruling classed and the lower classes rebell against this system as they are in poverty so steal to get money. Snider argues that the effects of robberies and petty theft are much smaller than the losses created by big businesses engaging in corporate crimes.
But in contrast there are very different at the same time. The crime control model is used in the criminal justice system for the prevention of crime. The crime control does not exclude that is possible to make a mistake, but based on the circumstances of the laws, the person is considered guilty until her or she is proven innocent. This model is based on old fashion laws which allow rapid and speedy convictions despite the mitigating factors of the case and the victim. The results, of the crime control model are wrongful convictions, being over-turned and this is a major downfall in the criminal justice system.
From a Marxist point of view laws are made by the state, which represent the interests of the ruling class. This argument forms the basis of a theory of widespread crime and selective law enforcement. This shows that crime will occur right the way through society, however poor criminals receive harsher treatment than rich criminals. Marxists tend to emphasise white collar and corporate crime, and pay less attention to blue collar variants. They emphasise that crimes of the upper class exert a greater economic toll on society than the crimes of ordinary people.
The intoxication model suggests that individuals will not use rational thought while intoxicated which leads to the addiction model which states that crimes are committed so the addict can support the habit (WSSAC,2009) The systemic model states that crime occurs when the participant of the drug trade sales the drug. For instance, the use of drugs influences criminal behavior while the distribution of illegal products is a crime. Last is legal model. In this model the individual choices to either abide by the laws that have been enacted to address drug use, possession, and distribution or the person can choice the path that breaks these laws. The war on drugs has become top priority for justice members.
Assess the usefulness of functionalist approaches in explaining crime The functionalist approach to analysing deviance and the causes of crime looks at society as a whole. It explains crime that the source of criminal behaviour lies in the nature of society itself rather than in psychology or biology. Functionalists such as Durkheim see deviance as an inevitable and necessary part of society and too little is unhealthy. Some also consider crime to have positive aspects for society. In this essay we will assess the usefulness of these functionalist theories, and look at how it helps us explain crime.
Furthermore, proposed indirect taxes on luxury goods such as motor cars and petrol would have affected the Lords as they were among the few rich enough to afford such luxuries. The Lords set up a budget protest league and denounced the budget as “confiscation and robbery”, and breaking with convention overwhelmingly vetoed the budget. A less important reason was that the Lords believed the budget amounted to a social revolution. They were worried by the idea of progressive and redistributive taxation which taxes the rich more heavily. They feared once these principles were established they could be extended to ‘soak the rich’ and even out the unfair distribution of wealth in Edwardian Britain.
Comparing Functionalism and Marxism on Crime and Deviance This assignment will compare and contrast Functionalism and Marxism on crime and deviance. The functionalist view of crime is that it is a threat to social order. Someone who commits a crime or a deviant act has gone against the norms and values of society. Functionalist’s believe in the nurture side of the nature versus nurture debate. Some people are socialised into crime, some functionalists, however such as Emile Durkheim see crime as being normal and an integral part of all healthy societies.
The migration of others into this country by illegal means has risen astonishingly. This act leads to higher crime rates in larger metropolitan areas. These immigrants are responsible for a significant percentage of trafficking, both human and drug. This is just the beginning of the issues that affect the criminal justice system. Many organized crimes have evolved from illegal immigrants, not to mention the bridge that has enabled cross-border terrorism.
The Causes of Crime - Right realists reject the idea put forward by Marxists and others that structural or economic factors such as poverty and inequality are the cause for crime. For example, they point out that the old tend to be poor, yet they have a very low crime rate. - Right realists argue that crime is the product of three factors; individual biological differences, inadequate socialisation and the underclass, and rational choice to offend. Individual Biological Differences - James Wilson and Richard Herrnstein (1985) put forward a biosocial theory of criminal behaviour. In their view, crime is caused by a combination of biological and social factors.