Class and Crime Flashcards
What % of people in prison come from the working class? How much does the working class make up of the population?
41% of the prison population are working class, yet the working class make up 19% of the population.
Who makes crime statistics?
Police (police recorded crime), CJS (criminal justice system). Directed by the Gov and ruling classes.
Why might crime statistics by disproportionate?
Police typifications.
Marxists - selective law enforcement.
Media moral panics - eg. football fans.
What type of crimes do the W/C commit?
Utilitarian crimes - for survival such as shoplifting, violence, vandalism.
All linked to low pay and lack of employment.
Subcultural theory - status frustration.
What types of crime do the H/C commit?
White collar crime (against employment) and corporate crime. Both linked to employment.
Name four reasons why these crimes happen?
Criminogenic capitalism - Marxist David Gordon
Strain Theory - Merton
Status Frustration - Subculture theory Cohen
Relative Deprivation - Left Realists Lea and Young
What does talks about Strain Theory?
Merton
Why’s is strain theory a reason why the LC commit crime?
The LC are socialised into the American dream - financial successes, but can’t achieve it.
Have the goals but no means to achieve it.
Adaptations include:
Innovation - new way
Retreatism - drug/alcohol abuse
Rebellion - terrorism, new goals and means.
Why is strain theory a reason why the HC so/don’t commit crime?
Not relatively deprived, well educated and have the means to achieve the goals = no strain.
However, Messner and Rosenfeld extend strain theory to all social classes - anyone can feel relatively deprived. (explains corporate crime - not paying minimum wage)
What’s an evaluative point of strain theory?
Deterministic - not all relatively deprived people commit crime. Assumes consensus on goals and means.
Who talks about criminogenic capitalism?
David Gordon
Why is criminogenic capitalism a reason why the LC commit crime?
TNC’s move operations abroad which means unemployment in the UK.
Crisis of masculinity in the UK, plus utilitarian crime to survive.
AO2 - Winlows bouncers in Sunderland.
They turned to jobs that included drugs, violence and vandalism.
(Status frustration Cohen)
Why is criminogenic capitalism a reason why the HC do/don’t commit crime?
Exploitation of people in developing world (Global South)
Fewer employment laws, environmental laws.
What’s an evaluative point of criminogenic capitalism?
Better to use a harm definition than a legal one.
Zemiological approach.
Who talks about labelling/interactionist theory?
Cicourel, Piliavin and Briar, Becker.
Why is labelling/interactionist theory a reason why the LC are labelled as criminal and the HC aren’t?
Police typifications
- formal control agents enforce more laws on the LC than the HC.
- HC commit crime in more enclosed spaces, WC are more visible.
- police more focused in WC areas.
What’s an evaluative point for labelling theory?
Labelling treats criminals as victims of labelling, romanticising them.
Ignores that they might me criminal, ignores reasons for crimes, ignores where power to label comes from.
Better explained by Marxists - ruling class/state empowers the police.
Who talks about selective law enforcement, ideological function of the law, criminogenic capitalism?
Marxists - Reiman and Chambliss
Why are Marxists theories a reason why the LC are labelled as criminal and the HC aren’t?
Govt / Ruling class
- make laws which criminalise the LC but few criminalise the HC.
- eg. trespass affects the LC.
Corporate crime
- “corporate manslaughter” law passed in 2008
- only one successful prosecution since.
Denies victims victim status, no law in the USA (Titanic)
Even if taken to court the HC can de-label themselves and pay themselves out.
What’s an evaluative point for Marxist theories?
Laws exist to criminalise the HC.
- Corporate manslaughter
Not all the time HC are greedy and exploit workers.
- Dan Price, credit card company, equal pay.
How does the media contribute to the invisibility of HC crimes?
The media give very limited coverage to corporate crime, thus reinforcing the stereotypes that crime is a working class phenomenon.
They describe corporate crime in sanitised language, as technical infringement rather than crime.
How does lack of political will contribute to the invisibility of HC crimes?
Politicians rhetoric of being ‘tough on crime’ is focused on street crime. For example, the home office uses the crime survey to focus on ‘ordinary crime’ not corporate crime.
How does complexity contribute to the invisibility of HC crimes?
Complex and law enforcement are often understaffed, under resourced and lacking technical expertise to investigate effectively.
How does de-labelling contribute to the invisibility of HC crimes?
At the level of laws and legal regulation, corporate crime is consistently filtered out from the process of criminalisation. Offences are often defined as civil, not criminal.
How does under-reporting contribute to the invisibility of HC crimes?
Individuals may be unaware that they have been victimised.
Even when they are aware, they may not regard it as a ‘real crime’ and feel powerless against the authorities.
