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In order to comprehend the ideas behind critical theory, one must examine the postmodern criminological thought towards critical theory. According to Lilly, Cullen, and Ball (2015), “crime is not simply a violation of formal law or an objective fact that can be discovered by using the scientific method” (p. 210). This means that the application of the five (5) step scientific method simply does not need to be applied in order to “scientifically” understand critical theory. However, the scientific method can be applied to the critical theory, by asking the question of who causes crime? With the vast amount of critical theorists, research has been collected and conducted over decades through the application of critical …show more content…
Even new critical theories have emerged in the past ten (10) years and date as far back to Carl Marx, even though he was not a criminologist (Fix, 2015). According to DeKeserdey (2010), “left realism is a main school of thought within critical criminology, and contrary to what some critics declare, it is not dead” (p. 3). Whereas common critical theory focuses on white-collar and corporate crimes, left realism seeks that attention is primarily placed on “crimes committed by the powerless as well as working-class and female victimization” (Lilly, Cullen, & Ball, 2015, p. 220). Left realism relates to the parental theory through the examination of self-report surveys throughout cultural groups and classes within society in order to broaden the scope of change throughout. Left realism is a “renewed interest in the origins, nature, and impact of crime within the work class” (Lilly, Cullen, & Ball, 2015, p. 245). In addition, left realists relate to the parental theory by adding emphasis where other, more conservative/ right winged theorists, have neglected. To that end, left realism not only agrees that shifts in political and societal create crime, it also provides evidence through empirical research that crime is a direct outcome of relative deprivation (DeKeserdey, …show more content…
A change in philosophy or a change in politics can lead to changes in how rules are enforced or programs are instituted. For example, if policy changes were to enforce speeding laws to one mile per hour over the speed limit then the criminal justice system would have a greater increase of traffic violations, whereas if the political nature of the laws changed to a flocculation between five and ten miles per hour over the speed limit then, as it is today, the traffic violations would still be increasing, however, not as great as the latter would be. Another policy implication could apply to the possession of marijuana. If possession of any quantity were simply a misdemeanor and not a felony (for large amounts), then the crack down within criminal justice system would no long exist, whereas if changes in policy from lawmakers (the powerful) put a cap on an amount of marijuana considered to be a misdemeanor and an amount considered to be a felony would change the criminal justice system greatly. If the criminal justice system changes their current philosophy of rehabilitation back to retribution, the “get tough on crime” phase, policy and crimes will change and over crowding in prisons will increase. It is where there is a change in politics, philosophies, laws, economics, and much more that guide critical changes within society