Class Power and Crime Flashcards
Marxist :Crimonogenic Capitalism
Crime is inevitable in a capitalist society because capitalism itself causes crime, making it
criminogenic. As it’s based on exploiting the WC, it gives rise to crime:
* Poverty means crime may be the WC’s only way to survive.
* Utilitarian crime may be the only way to get consumer goods capitalist ads show.
* Non-utilitarian crime may be the only way for the WC to deal with alienation and lack of control over their lives.
Marxist :crimonogenic capaitalism however…
However, capitalism is a competitive system, so crime isn’t confined to just the WC:
- The need to win no matter what/stay in business encourages capitalists to commit white-
collar and corporate crime. - Gordon (1976)- argues crime is a rational response to the capitalist system, which is why
it’s found in all classes.
Marxist :The state and law making
Marxists see law making and law enforcement as serving the
interests of the capitalist class.
* Chambliss (1975)- argues laws to protect private property
are the cornerstone of the capitalist economy. This is because
Britain needed labour on their colonies’ plantations, but the
local economy wasn’t one of money. To get workers, a tax
payable by cash was made, and the only way to get cash was by
working- therefore making the law serve the economic needs of
plantation owners.
* Snider (1993)- argues the state is reluctant to pass laws that
would regulate the activities of businesses/threaten their
profitability.
Selective enforcement
Marxist agree with labelling theorists that although all classes commit crime when it comes the application of law by the CJS there is selctive enforcement.While powerlesss groups such as the working class and ethnic groups are criminalised the police and courts ignore the crimes of thr powerful.
Ideological functions of crime and law
Law crime and criminals also perform an ideological function for capitalism
* This means that laws may be passed to look they benefit the
WC instead of capitalists, like workplace health and safety laws.
* Pearce (1976)- argues these laws DO benefit capitalism by
keeping us fit for work and giving capitalism a ‘caring’ face and
ensuing false class consciousness.
* Health & safety laws aren’t rigorously enforced- the 2007
corporate homicide law had 1 prosecution in the first 8yrs
despite negligent employers being responsible for many deaths.
* Selective enforcement ensures false-class conscious by making
a crime a WC issue, where workers turn against criminals
instead of capitalism.
Evaluation of Marxism
Strengths:
* Completes what labelling theory missed- puts it into a wider structural context by discussing
selective enforcement and why it happens.
* Explains the relationship between crime and capitalist society as well as how laws link to the
interests of the ruling class.
Weaknesses:
* Ignores the relationship between crime and other inequalities like gender/ethnicity.
* Deterministic- over-predicts WC crime and ignores that not everyone in poverty turns it.
* Left realists-says the ignore intra-class crime where the offender and victim are WC, and the
harm this causes victims.
* The CJS has punished corporate crime instead of ignoring it.
Crimongenic capitalism chain of reasoning
Marxists argue that capitalism is inherently criminogenic—it creates conditions that encourage crime. The capitalist system is based on exploitation, creating economic inequality, poverty, and competition. The working class (proletariat) may commit crime out of necessity (e.g., theft due to poverty) or due to frustration from alienation and lack of opportunities. Meanwhile, capitalism also promotes greed and consumerism, pushing both the working and ruling classes toward criminality.
the state and law making chain of reasoning
The laws in a capitalist society are not neutral; they serve the interests of the ruling class (bourgeoisie). Chambliss (1975) argues that laws are designed to protect private property, ensuring the wealth and power of the elite. The state rarely criminalizes corporate crimes (e.g., tax evasion or unsafe working conditions) while heavily policing street crimes, disproportionately targeting the working class. Snider (1993) also highlights that capitalist states are reluctant to pass laws that regulate businesses because it would threaten profits.
ideological functions of crime and law chain of reasoning
aws and the enforcement of crime serve an ideological function by maintaining capitalist rule. According to Pearce (1976), some laws appear to benefit the working class (e.g., health and safety laws), but they ultimately serve the interests of capitalism by ensuring a healthy and productive workforce. Additionally, the selective enforcement of laws creates the illusion that crime is a working-class issue, diverting attention from the crimes of the powerful (e.g., corporate fraud or environmental destruction). The media reinforces this by over-representing working-class crime, fuelling moral panics and justifying harsher policing in deprived areas.
Neo Marxism: critical criminology
- Taylor et al agree with Marxists that:
- The state makes/enforces laws in the interests of the capitalist class while criminalising the WC.
- Capitalist society is based on exploitation and class conflict, it’s characteristic being extreme wealth and power
inequality. - We should replace capitalism with a classless society to reduce or even extinct crime.
Differs though as they critique of existing theories of crime and deviance including both marxist and non-marxist approaches
Neo-Marxist–anti-determinism
Marxist is deterministic: Taylor et al argues Marxism is deterministic because it sees workers as committing crime out of economic
necessity.Etc theories that believe crime is caused by anomie
* Instead, Taylor et al reject this and take a voluntaristic(idea we have free will )
view.
* This is where crime is a meaningful action and conscious
choice of the actor often have a political move.
* They argue criminals aren’t passive puppets shaped by
capitalism, but that they are deliberately striving to
change society.
Neo-Marxism:A fully social theory of deviance
to create “ a comprehensive understanding” of crime and deviance that would help to change society for the better.
It combines the Marxist idea about unequal wealth distribution and who makes law and with interactionalist/labelling ideas about the meaning of the
act to the deviant, society’s reaction and how deviant
labels affect people.
A complete theory of deviance needs to unite six aspects
Wider origins of the deviant act-in the unequal distribution of wealth and power in capitalist society
Immediate origins of the deviant act-the particular context in which the individuals decides to commit the act
The act itself-and its meaning for the actor—e.g was it a form of re
The immediate origins of social reaction-the reactions of those around the deviant such as police
The wider origins of social reaction-in structure of capitalist society especially the issue of who has the power to define actions as deviant and to label others
the effects of labelling- on deviants future actions
Taylor Et all -these six aspects are interrelated to be understood together as part of a single unified theorw
Evaluation of Critical criminology
- Feminists- call the approach gender-blind, it focuses excessively on male criminality at the expense of females.
- Left realists- theory paints the WC as robin hoods that fright capitalism by redistributing wealth
to the poor, which ignores that these crimes pray on the poor. - Left realists- argue Taylor et al don’t take such crime seriously and ignore how WC victims are
effected. - Burke (2005)- critical criminology is too general to explain crime, and too idealistic to tackle crime.
Taylor et al- defences of their book looking back:
- The book combated the ‘correctionalist bias’ of other theories (where sociology’s role is correcting
behaviour), by calling for a greater tolerance of diversity in behaviour. - The book set foundations for later theories seeking a more just society like feminism and re
