The left realist perspective on crime

The left realist perspective on crime This assignment is about how realism define crime,it causes and how these crimes could be prevented.There are numerous crime theories, example labelling theory,life course theory,anomie theory an so forth.All of the above mentioned theories have different views in the definition of crime,it causes and prevention.This essay will talk about realism theory in particular on how they do define crime.its causes and prevention.There are two types of realism theories and these are left and right realism but for the purpose of this assignment left realism will be the key area that will be discussed on how property crime like shoplifting its causes and how it could be prevented. Left realism sees crime as a real problem for ordinary people and explains it through analysis, social and economic relationships, and how some groups become marginalised. In one regard, the left realists do share some degree of agreement with the radical theorists in that it is common ground that crime is a reaction to an unjust society (Lea and Young, 1984:45). Emergence as a means of explaining its main principles in respect of how the left realists see the causes of crime and its prevention methods. It will also identify its criminological perspectives with which it conflicts with other theories like right realism and the theory of anomie.One of the basic dogmas of the left realism is that criminals offences other than white collar crimes are serious problems and they demand to be explained and tackled.Left realist counter a number of arguments which criminologist have gone on to suggest that such offences are grievous.Jock Young(1993) argued that there has been a substantial and significance increase in street crimes since World War Two. In one regard, the left realists do share some degree of agreement with the radical theorists in that it is common ground that crime is a reaction to an unjust society (Lea and Young, 1984:45). However, on that point is also disagreement in that, unlike radical criminologists, left realists do not imagine that the criminal should not be blamed for responding by engaging in offending behavior. Offense is one form of egoistic response to loss. Its roots are injustice, but its growth often perpetrates injustice (Lea and Young, 1984:72). Lea and young believed that deprivation will only contribute to crime where it is known as relative deprivation. A group experiences relative deprivation when it feels deprived in comparism to other similar groups or when its prospects are not touched. It is not the fact of being deprived as such, only the touch of privation which is significant. Lea and Young (1984) point to a group army of young unemployed for whom a collective violence and the tempora ry ascendancy over their territory through riots is a substitute for organized crimes. Lea and Young suggested that culture and subjective meanings also have to be critically analyzed. Relative deprivation may be defined as the experience of being deprived of something to which one believes oneself to be entitled (Walker and Smith 2001). According to Runciman (1966) he argued hat the poor became aware of the scale of difference between them and the rich through political revolutions. Lea and Young asserted that not just unemployment or poverty lead to the cause of crime, it is when the feelings of resentment of the people what they could actually earn compared to their expectations which leads them to perpetrate a felonious crime. While single causes of crime are rejected, they argue that much is brought about by relative deprivation.This does not mean deprivation in itself produces crime as there is no clear evidence to substantiate this argument and such argument neglects white collar crime (Lea and Young 1993).Left realists believe that most group in a society have different expectations which are connected to what they feel they deserve.They may compare their s ituations with other members in the society whom they would expect to equal.If these expectations are not met ,they may feel deprived not absolutely but relatively.Unemployed youth in society may feel relatively deprived when they compare themselves with employed youth in the same society and this may lead them to frustration because they might feel for them being unemployed is not their fault and this can lead them in engaging them to commit property crimes such as shoplifting. The second facet of causes of crimes in left realistic perspective is marginalisation.Lea and Young argued that marginalisation means the process by which certain groups find themselves on the edge of society.Black and white working class youth sometimes feel alienated by the police force,educational institutions ,low- wages and unemployment.Young peole, example those in black community do face some level of marginalisation through prejudice and harassment example military police (stop and search) and they asserted that this may be the â€Å" straw that breaks the camel back†. Economic marginalisation that have been created by upper class in the society are transferred in criminal acts like committing property crime example shoplifting. The third problem of the left realist identified as a cause to crimes such as property crime is the problem of subculture. Lea and young argued that subculture of blacks is distinctly different from their parents who largely acceptd their marginalised position in society.Black people in a society example those in subculture has got aspirations and high expectations in life that is they always try to use status symbols like acquiring flashy cars , buying expensive clothings and the use of costly mobile phones and other expensive gadgets. Because black youth is so closely enmeshed in values of consumption style, and wealth, this is precisely why they engage in committing crime because of blocked opportunities.Lea and Young see subcultures as the collective solutions to groups problem.So, if a group of people share a sense of relative deprivation,they develop lifestyles which allow them to cope with this problem.Nevertheless,a particular subculture is not an automatic,inevitable respons e to a solution; Human creativity will allow a mixture of resolutions to be developed. These are the three main causes the left realist identified as causes of crimes.The left realists did not only focus on the offender as compared to some other theories.They did go beyong the scope of the offender and showed concerns for the victim patterns and formal and informal as well.They did so by explaining the square of crime which are the Offender, Victim,State and lastly the internal controls.Lea and Young argued that there must be interrelationship between these four elements before crime could be understood. Above all, these causes left realism adopted some approaches as a prevention methods to curb the growing of crime.Left realist believe that for crimes to be prevented ,there must be a considerable attention by focusing on practical measures .In Losing the Fight Agaisnt Crime(1986), Jock Young,Richard Kinsey and John Lea suggested the ways policing could be changed.Lea ,Young and Kinsey contended that the key to police success lies in improving relationships with the community so that stream of data which the police rely increases.To accomplish this ,they suggested minimal policing should be adopted.Even though,he indicated that the public should establish priorities for the police.Young also identified some sectors which he believes are under-policed and over-policed.Young thought the state and the police force spend too much of their time and energy in tackling certain types of crimes and not enough to others.This type of approach to policing warp the stats as to the genuineness nat ure of crime. Young and Lea also suggested that for offenses to be foreclosed, there must be some prioritization of social justice programs of crime prevention. When groups in a society feel that the law treats everyone in the same society, irrespective of ethnic origin, gender, race, etc. they forget the presence of marginalisation and as such for them (lower-class) thinking that they have been prejudiced will be out of context. This will not create any social misconduct in the society henceforth prevent committing of criminal offenses. Another prevention methods the left realists adopted was the idea of prison sentences should be longer than usual which will create a solution rising crime rates.They also believed that for crimes to be prevented , the powers of the police force should be increased (Formal social Control).They did also suggested that there should be more informal social controls such as quality housing, improvement of social services,good job prospects,quality community areas like play areas; which all these create a sense of belongings. The left realists also suggested that there should be pre-emptive deterrence (situational and social target hardening) should be adopted in order to control or prevent crimes.To prevent crimes from left realists perspective involves intervention of each part of the crime at the level of factors which give putative offender (such as structural unemployment), the formal organisation (such as lack of public mobilisation),the victim (such as inadequate target hardening) and the formal systems (such as ineffective policing) (Young,1986:41). Above all,Feminist criminological theorists have been critical of left realism in its tackling both of female criminal behaviour and its failure to explain the crimes that are traditionally viewed as targeting women,such as rape.Precisely,as it could be criticised for neglecting to offer an adequate account of different types of criminal behaviour.Left realism was accused of an overly one-dimensional focus on youth,male,working-class criminal behaviour to the detriment f offenders from other socio-demographic backgrounds.Female criminality is largely unaddressed and moreover,exposes a central weaknes in one of the key principlesof left realism.Evenly, it difficult to see how left realism can explain sexual crimes against women unless it comes within the same class of violent offences that are the result of frustration following a failure to achieve legitimate success.This appears an extremely tenuous argument for such complex crimes and in any case,left realist have tended not engros s with the issue of rape to any degree thus the explanation remains speculative(Heidensohn,1985). To conclude,the left realists see the causes of crime example property crime(shoplifting) are relative deprivation,marginalisation,and subculture which all these constitute the causes of crime.They also suggested some approaches which must be practised in order to prevent crimes from happening.They suggested formal social control measures thus the police should be given more powers to carry out their duties effectively and efficiently and also suggested longer prison sentences to avert crimes from rising.Lastly they suggested informal social control measures like good job prospects,quality housing and quality community areas like playing grounds for belongingness.

Kokoro written by Natsume Soseki Essay

Natsume Soseki throughout this novel went into great detail about friendship and the different stages of friendship. With a little help from a man he met on the beach at Kamakura he went from a young man trying to grasp the future to a very intelligent university graduate with all his morals set straight. Soseki’s novel the Kokoro (â€Å"The heart of things†) was a very pleasant novel to read. This novel was written in 1914 which was two years after the death of Emperor Meiji. Throughout this novel a lot of questions were raised and for the most part eventually answered. Japanese people during Meiji era (1868-1912) were in the midst of a major reformation, The moderation of the country of Japan. Natsume Soseki at the later parts of the movement was perhaps the most profound and most versatile novelist of them all[1]. Japanese people at this time mostly lived in Traditional housing. By this I mean houses were usually one story basic essentials nothing like some of the houses that are being built today. Sensei[2] on the other hand lived in non traditional housing thus meaning he had some kind of wealth. After a few visits that Soseki had given Sensei at his lodgings I began to realize that Japanese people at this time were very humble. Although Sensei was very confused on why Soseki continued to visit him and seek knowledge from him there was never a point in the book that Sensei wished anything harmful or bad upon Soseki. Around this time of the first meeting of Soseki and Sensei, Soseki was going through a change as well. It states that over the couple months that Soseki went home to be with family and his return to Tokyo that he was no a University student. This caught my eye because it states that he was a college student before[3]. After much research on this topic I could only come to a few assumptions of what this could meant. First â€Å"College† student might mean high school student here in the US. Secondly it might mean undergraduate whatever the true meaning behind it is it definitely caught my eye as intriguing that their educational system was different. Sak’e was a traditional alcoholic drink in Japan at the time. Sensei states â€Å"Drinking sak’e does you good to drink occasionally[4]†. I could not begin to think that during this reformation that Japan was going hrough that Sensei was the only one drinking sak’e. Although Sensei’s wife was not the biggest fan of the drink Sensei sure did enjoy it. Looking at the relationship between Sensei and his wife I couldn’t help to notice the extreme devotion they had towards each other. Although throughout the book Sensei’s wife Shizu always seemed to express herself more, you could tell that Sensei had the same devotion. Shizu was always very obedient to Sensei needs. I imagine that this was custom for women at this time in early Japan to be very obedient to their husbands. It’s about this time when Sensei first learns about the Sosekis ( Soseki) father being extremely ill. After hearing the symptoms of his father’s illness the reader begins to realize that Sensei is extremely smart and knows far more then the typical man during this era. Yet Sensei remains unemployed. In today’s world most college students continue their education after high school for one purpose and that purpose is usually to get a nice job and to become financial independent. Chinese people during this time by know means had the same state of mind as us in the United States right now. Throughout this novel I also began to wonder about how Chinese people interacted with each other Sensei was very secluded and did not want affection from anybody he also was very reluctant to trust anyone at one point Sensei asks, â€Å"is your family very wealthy†[5] he then goes on to say that if you â€Å"Give a Gentleman money, and he then becomes a rogue[6]. Sensei could not have been more right. His distrust in people and his generalization of the people of his day seemed to be somewhat crazy to the university student he had told. Later on in the book the Soseki father has passed along with his mother around the same time. His uncle who he had trust in persuade him to let him take over the house and the inheritance while he was in Tokyo continuing his education. Sure enough the exact words Sensei had told his peer happened. The uncle dwindled the inheritance of the Soseki thus causing hatred between the two sides. At this time I feel like very few people could be trusted altogether. If you had money there were always people trying to manipulate you and steal what in essence was given to you. Sensei said he could trust nobody and liked no body except his wife. The Soseki after the loss of inheritance to his uncle â€Å"I have come to hate the entire human race†[7] . This sounds exactly like something Sensei would have said thus leading to question if most people at this time felt this way. This novel was very enjoyable to read. I must admit I’m not a big reader but this novel kept me hooked. That being said the last point I would like to get to is a very serious one suicide. Suicide is a very serious problem in today’s world. Honestly before reading this novel I really only thought it was a problem now and not so much in the early 1900s. What surprises me the most is these three men in this novel committed suicide because they all felt they were disconnected if you will to what they had yearned for. None of them tried to reconnect. I cannot help but wonder at these times was it very traditional for a man or woman to commit suicide. Between illnesses these men were facing to the every day stress of financial stability and the devotion these men had towards their wives suicide might have been thought as the best option at the time.

Development of America

President Barack Obama, in his inaugural address, told the American people about the challenges facing the country today are of crisis proportion. Guided by the founding principles with which America was built as a nation, he promised the citizens of America and the world that his government will overcome these problems. He took note that every administration is faced with problems of different gravity and complexity and his will be no different. He offers hope and unity when he saw fear and conflict in the face of Americans.For Obama, America may be great and powerful, but these alone are not what will give jobs with fair wages, accessible and affordable healthcare and decent retirement through sound social security. Honesty, caution and transparency are demanded of those who hold public office for them to gain the trust of the people in their government. Taking the economy into perspective, he said that the crisis is not because workers are producing less, creativity has stopped, a nd need for commodities have dropped. Market forces drive the economy, for the best and for the worst.A strong economy will definitely create wealth. Government must exercise prudent control and ensure that the gains will benefit all. Equitable sharing of wealth and equal opportunities for all is his â€Å"re-affirmation of the enduring spirit that all are equal. † Obama believes that America must change that way it had conducted itself and do away with political philosophies that are not doing the country any good. Instead, Obama thinks that America should work harder, aim higher, be both movers and doers like its forebears whom he said â€Å"toiled, endured the lash of the whip, plowed the hard earth.†He reminded the American people of those who died in defense of precious freedom from â€Å"Concord and Gettysburg to Normandy and Khe Sanh. † He attributes the greatness of America to its people. He said the greatness was something â€Å"earned and never givenà ¢â‚¬  to its selfless people and to a country that is â€Å"bigger than the sum of individual ambitions [and] greater than all the differences of birth, wealth or faction. † It is upon these qualities that Obama begins the work that is necessary to push the economy forward, once again.He is bound not only to create jobs but provide the basics to be able to accomplish the first, such as infrastructures, science and technology, health care, alternative fuel sources, education and skills training that all fit the needs of the times. Obama has faith great things can be done if everyone will unite and rally around a common goal. In the pursuit of economic prosperity, Obama’s government also seeks to protect the rights of individuals among which is a guarantee of his safety and security.Like the founding fathers of America who shed blood to guarantee the freedoms every American now enjoys, Obama makes a solemn vow to every citizen and every nation of the world that America will take the lead when their peace is threatened. He is of the conviction that arms are the last resort in conflicts, however, victory comes with strong alliances and lasting principles. The might and power of the America is not enough to protect it but Obama assures that neither will his country use it indiscriminately.He will dispense the power judiciously, coming from what the president says is the â€Å"justness of cause and force of example which is the tempering qualities of humility and restraint. † He is looking at Iraq and Afghanistan and the possibilities of peaceful pullout. America will cooperate in keeping the world safe and secured but all threats to peace will be dealt with force. Terrorism will be met with the fiercest resistance. Obama assures that America â€Å"will not waiver in defense† of peace and justice â€Å"with spirit [that] is stronger and [which] can not be broken† warns that the enemy that â€Å"they cannot outlast us and we will defeat you.†Obama spoke of his new policies of government that reflects the old values of the founding fathers. President Obama will not compromise the safety and ideals of America. It will not be a choice of one over the other or a middle ground of both. Both safety and ideals go together. America separated from Britain in bitter circumstances in the cause of freedom, in the words of the Declaration of Independence they will hold Britain as â€Å"they hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war and in peace friends. † Today Britain remains a loyal ally in its fight against tyranny and injustice.President Obama calls on â€Å"old friends and former foes† to work with America in mutual defense and act against the use of nuclear weapons and destruction of the environment. Obama pledges to once again lead the way in â€Å"ushering in a new era of peace. † He recognizes that America is not just for the Americans but for the whole world. His government will defend America and its interests, as well as those of the world that is parallel to America’s. Obama declares â€Å"we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but seize rather gladly.†Once before, the founding fathers in the Declaration of Independence had similarly intended, to â€Å"mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our Sacred Honor. â€Å" President Obama recognizes the strength of multi-racial America today. From its conflict-ridden history, American came to be a strong nation. The president says that â€Å"as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself. † America, therefore, postures itself ahead of the line with the rest of the world – desirous of a future of peace with honor.America will extend its helping hands not only in times of war and but also in times of peace. He asks both the poor and the wealthy nations to work together on issues like the proper u tilization and care for the world’s resources. He notes that it is about time that everyone should drop attitudes of apathy and instead be more conscious in preserving what could be handed down to the generations that will come after the present one. Times have indeed changed and in retrospect American has gone this far and this long. Its 44th president had been sworn in to the highest office of the land.Nothing can more significant than the fact that America is still free, a legacy of the fallen heroes. Their spirit lives on in the men and women who fight for democracy in distant shores, who help save lives in disaster-stricken communities, who risk lives and limbs to take strangers out of death’s clutches from the 9/11 attacks, and those willing to sacrifice so others may live. From the heroes in war to the heroes in peace, America has not let go of what Obama calls â€Å"the gift of freedom. † They worked hard and gave so much to preserve the gains of freedom and democracy.What the Constitution declares to â€Å"secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity,† President Obama promises to â€Å"carry forth the gifts of freedom and deliver it safely to future generations. † America is faced with new challenges and responsibilities. These are the issues that President Obama places high importance on. These are the realities of the current times that Obama are finding solutions to. From uncertainty, the future will be shaped on how well America will use the time-tested inner resources and strength that have pushed the American on throughout their country’s history.The Obama government is confronted with economic difficulties, threats to peace and security, effects of environmental neglect, among many other problems. The American patience, honesty, hard work, sense of fairness, courage, inquisitive minds, love of country and unwavering faith in God and fellow Americans, should be made to prevail. These ar e the cost and rewards of a privileged American citizenship. How much the Americans have developed through the trying years, has made the words â€Å"liberty and justice for all† and that â€Å"all men are created equal† more meaningful and true.These truths were made self-evident when Obama who said his father â€Å"might not have been served at a local restaurant 60 years ago† became America’s first African-American president. On this same president’s shoulder lies the shaping of the future from uncertainty and hopelessness. President Obama is faced with problems that he has to deal with in order to move the nation forward. He was left with a country which is not completely done with a protracted war in the Middle East. He will decide on the future of Iraq and Afghanistan and the continuing role of America in the War on Terror.He hopes to end the decades of hatred and hopes to heal the wounds of conflict. As president of the most powerful nation on earth he has choices and he hopes to use the best of them in accordance with the enduring spirit of old such as courage with justice. The economy of America is in shambles. If this can happen to the great and powerful nation like America, what would keep it from happening to the others. Truly the economic crisis has hit a global scale. Unemployment rose when millions have lost their jobs, a consequence of the collapse of many businesses.Under such circumstances people would barely afford the rest – housing, education, health care, and social security. This would render the weak and feeble-hearted helpless, but not the American who was shaped in the tradition of hard work and honesty. Again, Obama has promised that America will take the lead. He has met with his economic team on Day One. America must likewise respond to the problems posed by environmental degradation and neglect, such as the greenhouse effect or global warming, extreme weather conditions and depletion of th e earth’s resources.He must end the indifference of industrialized nations or those he termed as the â€Å"nations that enjoy relative plenty. † He has recognized the â€Å"greed and irresponsibility of some† and this time he must be ready â€Å"to make hard choices to propel the nation† forward in the new age. He must employ the old values of â€Å"courage and fair play† to meet this challenge of the world in a time of peace. Equality has never been more felt than on the day Barack Obama took his oath of office.The multitude that showed up in his inauguration was happy that finally there were no more lines that divide. America now has a president who represents the best in the new American. The new American is able to transcend color and creed in a â€Å"patchwork heritage† which is the president’s own description of the new America. It is also a conglomeration of cultures from all points of the globe. Getting America to respond as o ne before it hopes to lead the rest of the world is vital to the agenda Obama has set to accomplish.Unity, equality and selflessness are the defining characters of the new generation of Americans. With these qualities the enormous task of ushering the new kind of peace and prosperity in America and elsewhere in the world can be achieved. President Obama guarantees that the government will do its duty and calls upon all Americans for their support. He believes that it is the collective â€Å"faith and determination† of its people in their government that will make America succeed in meeting all the challenges.From the time of the founding fathers to the inauguration of its 44th president, America has come a long way, not without sacrifices, not without hard work. President Obama has taken things in perspective and knew that without the guiding spirit of the old values, America would not survive the crisis his presidency was met with. The racial divide which was marked with the long struggle of his kind is no longer a painful issue to deal with, given his election to the highest post of the land.Peace and security, the economy, the environment, health care, and education are the more pressing problems that demand the government’s immediate attention, and attend to them the president has promised to do. The Obama story and discourse is a welcome development of the American. He had transcended barriers to become what he is today. In his watch, the whole world is still, perhaps in anticipation of new beginnings. For President Obama it is simply a choice of hope over fear, unity over discord.

What to Do If You Have a Family Emergency in College

Even though college students are often mocked for not living in the real world, many students do, in fact, deal with major life situations and events. Unexpected family illnesses, financial situations, deaths, and other events can happen during your time in college. Unfortunately, your academics might end up paying the price simply because you cant manage everything all at the same time. (And when faced with a major family emergency, its unrealistic to expect yourself to manage everything anyway.) If you find yourself faced with a family emergency in college, take a deep breath and spend 20-30 minutes doing the following. While it might seem like you dont have the time now, this small allotment of effort can do wonders for keeping your academics and college situation in check. Notify Your Professors and ​​Academic Adviser You dont have to go into too much detail, but you do need to let your professors know whats going on. Be as honest as you can without being dramatic. Let them know: What has happenedWhat it means for things like your class attendance, assignments, etc.What your next steps are, whether its an emergency trip home for the weekend or a longer absenceHow they can contact youWhen and how youll be contacting them next Ideally, everyone will then be aware of your situation and wont penalize you for having to miss class, be late on an assignment, etc. Additionally, your adviser should reach out in response and offer you some resources that can help with your situation. Tell the People You Live With Whats Going On Again, you dont need to share more than you need to. But your roommates might wonder whats going on if you leave without telling them for a few days; similarly, your RA might start to be concerned if he or she sees you missing class and/or coming and going at odd hours. Even if you just leave a note or send an email, its better to let people know that, for example, youre heading home to visit a sick relative than to cause undue worry or concern over your unexplained absence. Spend a Minute Thinking About Your Financial Situation Does this family emergency have financial consequences for you? Do you need to find funds right away -- for a flight home, for example? Does this emergency have a larger impact on your financial aid? It might seem awkward, but being aware of how your changed situation might affect your financial status is important. You can send a quick email to the financial aid office or even pop in for an emergency appointment. The staff there knows that life happens while youre in school, and you might be pleasantly surprised at the resources they have available for students in your situation. Think About Using the ​Counseling Center By their nature, emergencies cause turmoil, unrest, and all kinds of mixed (and often unwanted) emotions. At many (if not most!) institutions, visits to your campus counseling center are included in your tuition and fees. Even if you arent sure what youre feeling or how to feel about the situation, a visit to the counseling center might be a smart idea. Spend a minute or two calling the center to make an appointment -- they might have emergency slots open -- or at least finding out what resources are available if you decide you want them later. Tap Into Your Support Systems Whether its your best friend on campus or a favorite auntie who lives 3,000 miles away if youre facing an emergency family situation, check-in with those who support you the best. A quick phone call, text message, email, or even video chat can do wonders to update them as well as provide you with some love and support. Dont be afraid to reach out at a time you need them the most to those who love you the most. After all, if your friend or loved one were in your situation, you likely would be more than happy to support him or her however possible. Let yourself be supported by those around you as you deal with your situation.