Class, power and crime Flashcards
In what ways do Marxists agree with labelling theory?
Law is disproportionate against working class, OC’s cant be taken at face value
In what ways do Marxists criticise labelling theory?
Don’t examine wider structures of capitalism i.e. Law enforcement
How do Marxists view society?
Capitalism determines superstructure which serve the ruling class and maintain economy
Criminogenic
Capitalism in its nature produces crime
Three ways capitalism may lead to working class crime
Poverty
Obtaining consumerism
Alienation and lack of control
Why is crime found in all capitalist society?
Crime is a rational response to capitalism
Whose interests do law enforcement serve?
The capitalists
East African plantations example
Cash tax on East African colonies. Working on the plantations was the only way to make money, so taxing forced people into work and give economic payment as well as cash payment to the British
What laws are the state reluctant to pass?
Regulating business
Threatening profitability
Why are some laws passed to seemingly benefit the working class?
Health and safety codes are passed which reduces absence for the ruling class to keep the working class in work
What does this create?
False class consciousness
Example of a law not rigorously enforced
Corporate Homicide Prevention (2007) had one successful prosecution and ignored large numbers of homicide by negligence
What is the impact of selective law enforcement?
Crime = Working class phenomenon. Divides the class by getting them to blame working-class criminals
How do the media and criminologists contribute to the portrayal of criminals?
Portray as disturbed and conceal capitalist criminogenic
Positive aspects of Marxism
Shows relation between crime and capitalism
Shows links between law makers and law enforcers
3 evaluations of Marxism
Ignores relationship of crime with a non-class inequality
Overpredicts working class crime
Not all societies have high-crime rates i.e. Japan
How do Neo-Marxists agree with Marxists?
Society exploits class and causes conflict based on wealth and power
Laws are in capitalist interests
Capitalism should be replaced by a classless utopia
What way is Marxism deterministic?
It sees workers commit crime out of economic frustration and ignores crime caused by anomie, subcultures, labelling and bio/psych factors.
Voluntaristic
Free-will: Criminals are not puppets
A fully social theory of deviance: two main sources
Unequal distribution of wealth and power
Interactionism and labelling give the meaning of deviance
Six aspects of fully social theory of deviance
The wider origins of deviance
The immediate origins of deviance
The act itself
The immediate social reaction
The wider social reaction
The impacts of labelling
How are crimes committed by the higher classes treated?
Less vigorously and with less status as a crime
White collar crime
Crime committed by individuals or companies for financial gain
Occupational crime
Personal gain
Corporate crime
Company gain
Example of a harm that doesn’t break the law
Failing in terms of codes of practice by government regulations
Why is corporate crime more dangerous than street crime?
Corporate crime has physical (death), environmental and economic harm. It is widespread and pervasive
Financial crime
Tax evasion and bribery. Victims include companies and tax payers
Crimes against consumers with example
False labelling e.g. French silicone company sold dangerous silicone to women
Crimes against employees with data
Sexual/Racial discrimination, wage law violations
1,100 deaths involve law breaking in work
Crimes against the environment with example
Illegal pollution and toxic waste dumping
e.g. Volkswagen disguising high emission levels above the US limit
State-corporate crime with example
Government + Company collaboration to pursue goals
e.g. private companies attached to the US military accused of torturing Iraq detainees during US occupation
The invisibility of powerful crime: The Media
Little coverage of corporate crime which reinforces working class phenomenon. They describe corporate crime more sanitised e.g. Deaths via work = Accidents
Lack of political will
Politicians rhetoric of being tough on crime is focused on street crime. The Home Office releases reports of street crime but not corporate crime
Complex crimes
Corporate crime is more complicated, therefore law enforcement may be unprepared, understaffed and underdeveloped for tackling corporate crime
Delabelling
Corporate crime is often filtered out of the criminalisation process, such as defining them as civil offences and offering fines instead of criminal sentences
Example of de-labelling
French authorities provided British with citizens who had secret bank accounts with Swiss subsidiary of HSBC. Tax authorities only charge 1 individual and take no legal action against HSBC
Under-reporting
Individuals may be unaware of their victimisation and fail to report. They may also feel powerless against large companies to report a corporate crime
Why has corporate crime become more visible since 2008?
The financial crisis produced campaigns against corporate tax evasion, investigative journalists, ‘whistle-blowers’ in companies and the media.
How have neoliberal policies impacted companies?
Marketisation and privatisation policies have made companies much closer to people’s lives which increases public scrutiny
Strain theory explanation
Companies can’t maximise profit legitimately so they do it illegally. They are tempted to law break when conditions become weary. They have willingness to ‘innovate’ when finance drops
Differential association explanation
Crime culture socialises employees, which they join in the crime such as illegal price fixing
Problems achieving company goals adopt deviant methods and socialise others into this
Business favours competitive employees who are willing to break laws
Labelling theory explanation
De-labelling. Using lawyers and experts to avoid crime and de-label themselves. Law enforcement are reluctant to deal with corporate crime. OC’s underestimate corporate crime extent
Marxism explanation
Mystification is spreading the ideas that corporate crime is less harmful than street crime. Sustains illusion that it is the exception rather than norm. Corporations are crimogenic as they use illegitimate means when legitimate means are blocked.
Companies only abide to laws when they are strict e.g. In developing countries, laws are less strict so low wages and exploitation are easier to do.
Evaluations of Marxists: Nelken
Over-predict business crime. Nelken states it is wrong to assume all businesses would offend
Evaluation of Marxists: Non-profit crime
Capitalist pursuit of profit doesn’t explain the idea of state agent crime.
Evaluation of Marxists: Profit
Abiding may be more profitable. Pharmaceutical companies abiding with Drug Administration were able to obtain licences for products in US and access markets in poorer countries.
