Class, Power and crime (Marxism)

Question 1

What type of theory is Marxism?

Answer 1

Structural theory

Question 2

What is meant by a structural theory?

Answer 2

It views society as a structure in which the economic base determines the shape of the superstructure which includes the state and the criminal justice system.
The functions of these institutions is to serve the needs of the ruling class and maintain capitalist economy.

Question 3

What 3 explanations for crime do Marxists suggest ?

Answer 3

1. Criminogenic capitalism
2. The state and law making
3. Ideological functions of crime and law

Question 4

What is meant by criminogenic capitalism ?

Answer 4

Capitalism by it’s very nature causes crime

capitalism is based on a system of exploitation where they maximise their profits by exploiting the working class through low wages and long hours. It’s a dog eat dog system of ruthless competition. This leads to crime in 3 ways:

1. Poverty- need to steal in order to survive
2. consumer goods- crime may be the only way they can obtain the CG encouraged by capitalist advertisements - results in utilitarian crime
3. Alienation- This results in them feeling a lack of control over their life which leads to frustration resulting in non-utilitarian crime

GORDON

Question 5

*Gordon

Answer 5

Criminogenic capitalism

argues that crime is a rational response to capitalism and as a result, crime is found in all classes which isn’t shown by official statistics

Question 6

What is meant by the state and law making?

Answer 6

The law and agencies of social control serves only the interests of the ruling class
SNIDER

Selective Enforcement:
Working class are criminalised by the capitalists who make the laws which tend to ignore the crimes of the powerful
REIMAN

Question 7

*Snider

Answer 7

The state and law making:

The state is reluctant to pass laws that will regulate businesses and threaten profits

Question 8

*Reiman

Answer 8

The state and law making - Selective enforcement:

The rich get richer and the poor get prison

• crimes committed by the powerful is less likely to be treated as a criminal offence as it focuses on ‘street crime’

Question 9

What is meant by Ideological functions of crime and the law ?

Answer 9

The law, crime and criminals perform an ideological function. Laws are occasionally passed that appear to be for the benefit of the subject class rather then ruling class however this isn’t the case.
- For example, health and safety laws

PEARCE

Question 10

*Pearce

Answer 10

Ideological functions of crime and the law :

Health and safety laws benefit the ruling class rather than the subject class as they create a sense of false consciousness
- This is because they ensure that the workers are safe and can continue to work the long hours for the capitalists

Question 11

AO3 for Marxism explanations of crime

Answer 11

• It ignores the relationship between crime and important non-class inequalities such as gender and ethnicity
• Left realists argue they ignore intra-class crime
• Not all capitalist societies have high crime rates such as Japan and Switzerland

Question 12

How are Neo-marxist similar to marxists ?

Answer 12

• Capitalist society is based on exploitation and class conflict
• Gaining an understanding of this structure is the key to understanding crime and deviance
• capitalism should be replaced by a classless society as this would reduce crime and even rid society of crime in the long term

Question 13

How do Neo-Marxists disagree with Marxists ?

*Taylor

Answer 13

Taylor et al

Marxism is too deterministic arguing that workers are driven to commit crime out of economic necessity

Question 14

What is meant by Neo- Marxists being anti-deterministic when explaining crime?

Answer 14

~They take a voluntaristic view that believes we all have free will to commit crime or not.
~They believe that crime is a meaningful action undertaken by social actors
~People CHOOSE to commit crimes and they often do this due to social motives
- such as redistributing wealth to the poor

Question 15

What 2 theories are combined to form Neo-marxist explanations of crime ?

Answer 15

Marxism
Labelling Theory (interactionist)

Question 16

What kind of theory do neo-marxists aim to achieve?

Answer 16

A FULLY SOCIAL theory of deviance

Question 17

What 6 elements do Neo-marxists take into account when trying to gain a fully social theory of deviance?

Answer 17

1. The wider origins of the deviant act - what is happening in society for the individual to commit crime
2. The immediate origins of the deviant act - Particular context in which the individual decided to commit the act
3. The act itself - Its meaning for the actor
4. The immediate origins of societal reaction - Around the deviant eg community, family, friends, police
5. The wider origin of societal reactions- Who has the power to define actions as deviant
6. The effects of labelling - does it lead to deviancy amplification

Question 18

AO3 for Neo-Marxists

Answer 18

• Romanticises criminals as Robin Hood type figures who redistribute wealth to the poor however wc are also likely to be the victims of the crimes
• BURKE - critical criminologist explanations are too general and too idealistic

Question 19

Definition of White collar crime

*Sutherland

Answer 19

Sutherland :

“a crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation

Question 20

Definition of Corporate crime

*Pearce and Tombs

Answer 20

Pearce and Tombs

“Any illegal act or omission that is the result of deliberate or culpable negligence by a legitimate business organisation that is intended to benefit the business”

Question 21

In the USA, how much more does white collar crime cost than ordinary crime ?

Answer 21

10x

Question 22

*Tombs

Answer 22

Corporate crime:

corporate crime has enormous costs : physical, environmental and economic

it includes:
- financial crime - tax evasion
- crimes against consumers- false labelling
- crimes against employees - sexual/ racial discrimination, low wages etc
- crimes against the environment - toxic waste
- state-corporate crime - harms committed by government institutions

Question 23

What is meant by Abuse of Trust and give an example?

Answer 23

High status professional occupy a position of trust and respectability however they can abuse this trust by taking advantage of it for something negative

for example
Lucy Letby

Question 24

What is meant by the invisibility of corporate crime ?

Answer 24

Corporate crime often goes unnoticed due to it being ‘invisible for many reasons:
- The media - limited coverage
- Lack of political will - to tackle the crime as the focus is on street crime
- crimes are often complex- Law enforcement tend to be understaffed and under resourced
- De-labelling - offences defined as civil rather than criminal
- under-reporting - victims tends to be society who don’t know that they are victims

Question 25

AO3 for invisibility of corporate crime

Answer 25

Since the financial crisis of 2008, the activity of a range of people have made corporate crime more visible, specifically in the tax avoidance category
- this is done by campaign groups such as occupy UK uncut

this leads to the argument that corporate crime is becoming partially visible

Question 26

What are the 4 explanations of corporate crime ?

Answer 26

STRAIN THEORY - Box
- when companies can’t achieve their profit goals by legal means they may employ illegal means
Clinard and Yeagar -
law violations increased as a company’s financial performance deteriorated- they innovated to achieve profit goals

MARXISM
- its a result of normal functioning capitalism - its inevitable
BOX - capitalism has created a mystication (an ideology that corporate crime is less widespread and harmful than WC crime. Companies only comply with the law if they see it enforced effectively

LABELLING THEORY:
Whether an act is criminal or not depends on whether a label has been placed on successfully applied. As the powerful are better able to negotiate and afford expensive lawyers they are likely to be un-labelled

DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION:
Sutherland- crime is a behaviour that is learned in a social context so if a company has a culture that justifies crime as achieving goals then employees will be socialised into this. This links 2 concepts

Deviant subculture - Employees face problems achieving corporate goals and may adopt deviant ways to do so & socialise new member into them

Techniques of neutralisation - People are more likely to deviate if they are able to justify their actions
- EG white collar criminals often blame other - customers should’ve read the blueprint, everyone does it etc

Question 27

*Box

Answer 27

Explanation of corporate crime : strain theory

when companies can’t achieve their profit goals by legal means they may employ illegal means

Explanation of corporate crime : Marxism

capitalism has created a mystication (an ideology that corporate crime is less widespread and harmful than WC crime. Companies only comply with the law if they see it enforced effectively

Question 28

*Clinard and Yeagar

Answer 28

Explanation of corporate crime : strain theory

law violations increased as a company’s financial performance deteriorated- they innovated to achieve profit goals

Question 29

*Sutherland

Answer 29

Explanation of corporate crime: differential association

crime is a behaviour that is learned in a social context so if a company has a culture that justifies crime as achieving goals then employees will be socialised into this. This links 2 concepts

Deviant subculture - Employees face problems achieving corporate goals and may adopt deviant ways to do so & socialise new member into them

Techniques of neutralisation - People are more likely to deviate if they are able to justify their actions
- EG white collar criminals often blame other - customers should’ve read the blueprint, everyone does it etc

Question 30

AO3 for explanations of corporate crime

Answer 30

• Doesn’t explain crimes from non-profit organisations such as the police, NHS et
• law abiding could be more profitable - US pharmaceutical companies that comply with the Federal Drug Agency were able to access lucrative markets in poorer countries which increased their profit
• Strain theory and Marxism over-predict the amount of business crime - NELKEN - argues its unrealistic to assume that all businesses would offend if it wasn’t for the risk of punishment

Question 31

*Nelken

Answer 31

AO3 for explanations of corporate crime:

Argues that the strain theory and marxism are too deterministic as its unrealistic to assume that all businesses would offend if it wasn’t’t for the risk of punishment