CLASS and CRIME

Question 1

EXPLAINING the CLASS DIFFERENCES IN CRIME

Answer 1

FUNCTIONALIST:
sees the LAW as a reflection of SOCIETY’S SHARED VALUES and CRIME is the PRODUCT of INADEQUATE SOCIALISATION into such values. MILLER argues LOWER CLASS has developed an INDEPENDENT SUBCULTURE that CLASHES with MAINSTREAM CULTURE, explains their HIGHER CRIME RATE

STRAIN THEORY:
people engage in crime when opportunities to achieve in LEGITIMATE WAYS are BLOCKED. MERTON argues the AMERICAN CLASS STRUCTURE denies the W/C to achieve the AMERICAN DREAM, thus are likely to seek ILLEGITIMATE MEANS to achieve it.

SUBCULTURAL THEORIES:

LABELLING THEORY: Labelling and Stereotypes
The working class are often
labelled as being more
criminogenic and therefore the
criminal justice system sees them
as making conscious choices to
commit crime where as middle
class are seen as making a
mistake or unintentionally
committing a crime.

Becker – the working class are unfairly tattered by the CJS, they are less likely
to be able to negotiate the system to their advantage. The police tend to
patrol working class areas more which results in the working class crime
statistics being higher than middle class.

Question 2

MARXISM

CRIMINOGENIC CAPITALISM

SELECTIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT

SELECTIVE LAW MAKING

IDEOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS OF CRIME

Answer 2

Capitalism is criminogenic because by its very nature it leads to crime as it causes exploitation of the working class. Capitalism leads to an ever increasing gap between the rich and poor and it is
not surprising that the poor might turn to crime in order to afford the necessities. The frustration of exploitation can also lead to violence.

Selective law enforcement means that the criminal justice system applies the law to different social groups in different ways. Where as the working class and ethnic minorities are criminalised; the powerful and rich appear to get let off or ignored.

Selective law making means that the laws themselves are socially constructed to benefit the rich and powerful. BOX argues that the rich often engage in activities which result in death, injury, fraud and theft but the activities are protected under the law.
– Health and Safety laws.

IDEOLOGICAL FUNCTION:
PEARCE theorises that LAWS give CAPITALISM a ‘caring’ face, and create a false consciousness among workers. This is because the STATE ENFORCES the LAW SELECTIVELY, crime appears to be a LARGELY W/C PHENOMENON. This divides working class due to how it encourages workers to blame criminals in their midst for their problems, rather than capitalism

Question 3

NEO-MARXISM

Answer 3

FULLY SOCIAL THEORY: a comprehensive understanding of crime for the betterment of society.

elements of the FULLY SOCIAL THEORY:
1. wider origins of the deviant act.
2. immediate origins of the deviant act
3. act itself.
4. immediate origins of the social reaction
5. wider origins of social reaction.
6. effect of labelling.

Question 4

THREE ways NEO-MARXISTS AGREE with MARXISTS:

Answer 4

1. Capitalism is based on exploitation and class conflict and understanding this is key to understanding crime
2. The state creates and enforces laws for the benefit of the ruling class.
3. Capitalism should be replaced with a classless society where
   crime would be greatly reduced.

Question 5

CRIMES of the POWERFUL

Answer 5

WHITE COLLAR CRIMES

Question 6

INVISIBILITY of CORPORATE CRIME:

Answer 6

THE MEDIA - give very limited coverage to corporate, thus reinforcing the stereotype that crime is a working-class phenomenon
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LACK OF POLITICAL WILL to TACKLE CORPORATE CRIME - politicians rhetoric of being ‘tough on crime’ only applies to street crime.
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CRIMES ARE COMPLEX - law enforcers are often understaffed, under-resourced and lack technical expertise.
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DELABELLING - at the level of laws and legal regulations, corporate crime is consistently filtered out from the process of criminalisation.
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UNDER-REPORTED - individuals may be unaware they have been victimised.