225-C11 - Critical Theories Flashcards
conflict perspective/theory
- assumes that societies are more divideded by conflict rather than consensus, in the struggle between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, in which the working class takes on the majority of the production work, while the bourgeoisie capitalizes on the products
- social norms and values are endorsed by the more powerful/dominant groups in society, and benefit them
Base
production forces, or the materials and resources, that generate the goods society needs (working class)
superstructure
all other aspects of society outside of the base (the political-legal system of the state and consciousness—or ideology—in general)
Marxism
Karl Marx’s theories about society, economics, and politics
influence of marx on criminologies
- criminologists study marx’s ideas on the relationship between crime and the social world, how social, political, and economic structures give rise to crime
- law and crime should not be studied in isolation, but in relation to the whole of society, particularly with economy
who was the developer of cultural conflict theory?
thorsten sellin
cultural conflict theory
- the cultural conflict between the pervasive values and beliefs
- including crime and law
conduct norms
cultural rules dictating what conduct is appropriate
Culture
learned behaviours which consists of the shared values, belief, language, and practices that define a people as a group/society.
Material culture
totality of physical objects and belongings of members of a group of people (e.g., money, weapons, utensils, clothing, ornaments etc.)
Non-material culture
does not include any physical objects or artifacts include ideas, beliefs, values, norms etc. that may help shape society (e.g., languages, dress codes, etiquette, rituals, religion, laws, punishments, values, and ethics).
criminal norms (in cultural conflict theory)
“conduct norms” codified into laws
crime in cultural conflict theory
crime is the result of conduct norms of one dominant group beign extended over a group with different conduct norms minority
developers of group conflict theory
George Vold and Richard Quinney
crime in group conflict theory according to Vold
- crime occurs because of conflict bweteen competing interest groups (minority contrasts the majority)
- crime occurs from conflict between competing interest groups ving for power
crime in group conflict theory according to quinney
- groups secure their interests throguh the creation of criminal law
propositions of quinney’s group conflict theory (protection of ingroup interests)
- crime is human conduct deined by authorized agents ina politically-organized society
- crime includes behaviours that conflict with teh interests of groups with the power to shape public policy
- crime regulation is administered by groups with teh power to shape enforcement and administration fo criminal law
- behaviours are stuctured in relation to what is defined as crime, actions have relative probabilities of being deined as criminal
- conceptions of defined crime are constructured and diffused by means of communication e.g. mass media
- the social reality of crime is constructed (via the formulation and application of crime definitions
instrumental marxism
the state is the direct servant/tool of the ruling class, who uses the state/law to further their own interests
critiques of instrumental marxism
- wrongly portrays ruling class as homogenous (e.g. not everyone who is rich is part of the law)
- ignores constraints on the powers of the ruling class
- ignores legislation that is contradictor
- overly deterministic (assumes economy is the (only) foundation of the superstructure)
[NI] Quinney’s Critical Marxist theory of Crime
- American society is based on an advanced capitalist economy.
- The state is organized to serve the interests of the dominant economic class.
- Criminal law is an instrument of the state and ruling class for maintaining and perpetuating the existing social and economic order.
- Crime control in capitalist society is realized through institutions and agencies controlled by political elite, representing ruling class interests.
- The contradictions of advanced capitalism require that the subordinate classes remain oppressed by whatever means necessary, especially through the legal system.
- Only with the collapse of capitalist society and the creation of a new society, based on socialist principles, will there be a solution to crime
Structural Marxism
argues that state institution functions in the long-term interests of capitalism (not as direct as in instrumental marxism)
what is the “relative autonomy” of states and institutions in structural marxism?
the state and its institutions have some independence from specific elits in teh capitalist class
Spitzer’s Marxian Theory of Deviance
- criminalization of behaviour is often directed at problem population that arise in capitalist societies
- suplus populations that are against capitalist structure (e.g. homeless, radicals, activists)
Greenberg’s Juvenile Delinquency
Juveniles are excluded from access to income (surplus population) –> delinquency to finance leisure and social activities
conflict is between the desiret o participate in activities and lack of legitimate sources to fund these activities
theories under structural marxism
- marxist theory of deviance
- juvenile delinquency
Marxists approaches in corporate crime reveals…
- corporate crime results in much greather negative impact compared with “street crime”
- it is motivated by capitalism and profit maximization
critiques of structural marxism
- tendency towards circular reasoning: Crime exists because of capital class exploitation (base assumption of the theory)
- too much emphasis on structure, not so much human agency (assumes no free will/individual accountability)
- exclusive focus on class relations rather than other considerations (e.g. gender and race oppression)
