4.2 - Class, Power & Crime (Marxism) Flashcards
General Marxist View on Crime
> Law mainly enforced selectively against the working class, and official statistics are flawed
> The Criminal Justice System serves upper class interests & the structure of capitalism explains crime.
Criminogenic Capitalism
Crime inevitable, as capitalism is criminogenic - it’s very nature causes crime, as it’s based on exploiting the working class for profit.
Why does working class crime occur due to Capitalism being criminogenic?
> Poverty means crime is only way the working class can survive
> Only way of getting consumer goods, promoted by advertising leading to utilitarian crimes e.g. theft
> Alienation causes frustration, leading non-utilitarian crimes e.g. violence
Why does upper class crime occur due to Capitalism being criminogenic?
Win at all costs mentality instilled, encourages greed profit, so do corporate crime e.g. tax evasion
Chambliss - Criminogenic Capitalism
> Crime’s universal & present in all social classes, due to focus on utilitarian gains
> Working class & upper class both used different means to get goods, working class have limited means of crime so use violence & thefts
> Upper class have more options e.g. white-collar crime e.g. fraud or corporate crime
Criticisms of Chambliss
Too deterministic, not all working class turn to crime, despite financial position
Gordon - Prevalence of Crime
> Crime is rational response to capitalism in a dog eat dog society - present in all classes
> Especially in US with lack of welfare, so working class have to do crime to survive
Chambliss - State & Law Making
> Main purpose of law was to protect wealth from masses
> e.g. English law introduced in East Africa, but didn’t want to work for British
> Government made tax with punishment for non-payment, led to new workforce for plantation owners, so they can pay tax
Snider - State & Law Making
> State is reluctant to pass laws, regulating businesses e.g. profit is more important than people
> People who commit corporate crime are less likely to be prosecuted
Reiman - Selective Enforcement
> Powerless groups more likely to be criminalised, courts tend to ignore crimes of powerful
> e.g. Social Security Fraud by WC always prosecuted, but tax evasion of UC isn’t
Pearce - Ideological Functions of Crime & Law
> Laws appearing to benefit WC often benefit UC more
> e.g. health & safety laws, keeps workers fit 4 wrk, creates FCC.
Criticisms of Law Creation in favour of bourgeoisie
> Laws created for harmonious running of society e.g. theft, violence etc.
> Consumer rights laws, protects our rights
Ideological Functions of Crime & Law
> State enforces law selectively due to OS crime appears a WC phenomenon, shifts attention from UC crime
> Divides WC encouraging workers to blame criminals for problems not capitalism
Althusser - Ideology
> Some reject ISA, so control & order thus needs to be maintained through RSA
> Police & Army use physical force to deal with those who rebel vs social order
> e.g. 2011 Riots & Police response to BLM, works in favour of UC
Criticisms of Althusser
Most reject ISA of UC, w/out rebelling to an extent that needs RSA to intervene
Left Realists - Criticisms of Marxism
Marx focuses on crimes of powerful ignores most crimes v WC v WC e.g. theft
General Evaluation of Marxism
> Gives criminals a victim status
> Not all capitalist societies have + crime rates e.g. Japan less crime > US
3 ways Neo-Marxists agrees with Traditional Marxism
> Capitalism based on exploitation & inequality, key to understanding crime
> State enforces laws for benefit of UC
> Favour classless society, where crimes greatly reduced
Neo-Marxism & Anti-Determinism (Taylor)
Reject idea workers do crime due to poverty as well as ext factors e.g. anomie & labelling
Crime as Voluntarist (Taylor)
> Criminals make conscious choice to do crime, to desperately change society
> Often w/ political motive eg. redistributing wealth & not puppets of capitalism.
Rock - Criticisms of Taylor
> Overly romantic view of criminals e.g ‘’robin hoods’’ fighting injustice, LR states most crimes by WC v WC
> Ignores effects on WC v’s
General Criticisms of Taylor
Crimes e.g. DV/Rape not politically motivated, RR state crime is opportunistic, not reaction to injustice
6 Elements of Taylor’s Full Social Theory of Deviance (FTSOD)
- Origins of Deviant Act
- Immediate Origins of Deviant Act
- Act itself & meaning for actor
- Immediate Origins of Social Reaction
- Wider Origins of Social Reaction
- Effects of Labelling
- Origins of Deviant Act - FSTOD
Power structures in society & social inequality
