Class, Power and Crime Flashcards
(28 cards)
How do functionalists explain class differences in crime?
-Crime is the product of inadequate socialisation
-complex division of labour leads to different subcultures in classes and groups
How do strain theorists explain class differences in crime?
As w/c are more likely to be denied legitimate oppurtunities, they are more likely to attempt success illegitimately
How do subcultural theorists explain class differences in crime?
w/c form delinquent subcultures due to status frustration
How do labelling theorists explain class differences in crime?
w/c more likely to be labelled as criminals by law enforcement agencies
According to Marxists, how is capitalism criminogenic?
Gordon
-poverty may mean crime is the sole means of survival
-crime may be the only way to get consumer goods encouraged by capitalist advertising, utilitarian crime
-Alienation/lack of control leads to frustration,leads to violence
How does capitalism cause crime in the ruling class?
-dog eat dog world
-m/c commit crimes out of greed, and self interest
breaking the law seems insignificant compared to pressures to succeed
How do Marxists see the state and law making?
Chambliss- laws to protect property and profits of rich and powerful (East african colonies-A02)
Snider- laws that regulate the activities of buisnesses will not be passed
According to marxists, what is selective enforcement
The idea that the crimes of the wealthy are ignored whilst w/c and Em are criminalised
What are the ideological functions of crime and law
- Pearce Creates false class consciousness; healthcare benefits depict ‘caring face of capitalism’
-Selective law enforcement presents crime as a working class issue, preventing a revolution against capitalist regime by dividing the w/c
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How can the marxist view of crime be criticised?
-Largely ignores relationship between crime and gender/ethnicity
-Not all capitalist societys have high crime rates e.g Japan
–Left realists argue it ignores intra-class crimes (between same class)
How does neomarxism agree with marxism?
-capitalism is based on power and wealth inequalities that lead to crime
-State makes/enforces laws that benefit ruling class
-Capitalism should be replaced by a classless society
How do Neo-marxists (Taylor et al) criticse marxism?
It is too economically deterministic, criminals not passive puppets
-Believe crime is a conscious choice that often has a political motive e.g to redistrubute wealth to the poor (voluntarianism)
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What theory did Taylor et al come up with?
A fully social theory of deviance
What did the fully socially theory of deviance aim to do?
Provide a comprehensive understanding of crime and deviance to improve society by integrating marxist ideas of unequal distribution of wealth and selective law enforcement with labelling theories of the meanings behind criminal acts as well as societal reaction e.g labelling
Evaluate critical criminology
-Feminists argue it is gender blind as it ignores female criminality
- Left realists argue it Romanticises w/c criminals as ‘robin hoods’ when they mostly prey on the poor
Who coined the term ‘white collar crime and what is it?
Sutherland
-Crimes commited by a person of high status in relation to their occupation
According to Sutherland, what are the two types of white collar crime?
Corporate- by employees to meet organisations goals e.g tax evasion, fraud
Occupational crime- by employees for own personal gain, often against organisation e.g embezzlement/fraud
What is the scale of coorporate crimes
Tombs and Whyte argue that it is more widespread and is more costly than w/c crime as it can produce more harm
What types of crimes are subdivided into corporate crime?
-Financial crimes e.g tax evasion
- against consumers e.g false labelling
-against employes e.g discrimination
-Against environment e.g pollution
-State coorporate crimes(crimes with both state and coorporation in pursuit of a goal)
How can white collar crime affect society in terms of abuse of trust?
We entrust high status individuals with our health,finances etc.
-This crime violates that trust leading to a lack of trust in institutions
-therefore Sutherland argues this is the most costly type of crime
How can the case of Harold Shipman show an abuse of trust?
-beliveved to have killed over 200 of his patients
-used forgery and deception to get powerful opiates planning to kill, only got a warning for it
-undermines the trust society puts on professionals
What are the 5 different reasons in which corporate crime is invisible?
-The media (sanitised language when talking about it/ focuses on w/c crimes)
lack of political will (politicians focus on street crime)
-Complexity (lack of expertise to deal with )
-Delabelling( given fines not jail, civil cases not criminal)
-Underreporting(due to powerlessness/ lack of understanding it is a crime as its often on a large scale)
How can the idea of the invisibility of crime be criticised?
-Whistle blowers inside companies + media report crimes e.g advertisemnet for compensation claims
-Companies more exposed to scrutiny now
How can the strain theory explain corporate crime?
Box- if a company cannot meet its goals (maximum profit) it will employ illegal means instead
