Class, Power and crime (Marxism) Flashcards
What type of theory is Marxism?
Structural theory
What is meant by a structural theory?
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.
What 3 explanations for crime do Marxists suggest ?
- Criminogenic capitalism
- The state and law making
- Ideological functions of crime and law
What is meant by criminogenic capitalism ?
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:
- Poverty- need to steal in order to survive
- consumer goods- crime may be the only way they can obtain the CG encouraged by capitalist advertisements - results in utilitarian crime
- Alienation- This results in them feeling a lack of control over their life which leads to frustration resulting in non-utilitarian crime
GORDON
*Gordon
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
What is meant by the state and law making?
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
*Snider
The state and law making:
The state is reluctant to pass laws that will regulate businesses and threaten profits
*Reiman
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’
What is meant by Ideological functions of crime and the law ?
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
*Pearce
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
AO3 for Marxism explanations of crime
- 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
How are Neo-marxist similar to marxists ?
- 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
How do Neo-Marxists disagree with Marxists ?
*Taylor
Taylor et al
Marxism is too deterministic arguing that workers are driven to commit crime out of economic necessity
What is meant by Neo- Marxists being anti-deterministic when explaining crime?
~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
What 2 theories are combined to form Neo-marxist explanations of crime ?
Marxism
Labelling Theory (interactionist)
What kind of theory do neo-marxists aim to achieve?
A FULLY SOCIAL theory of deviance
What 6 elements do Neo-marxists take into account when trying to gain a fully social theory of deviance?
- The wider origins of the deviant act - what is happening in society for the individual to commit crime
- The immediate origins of the deviant act - Particular context in which the individual decided to commit the act
- The act itself - Its meaning for the actor
- The immediate origins of societal reaction - Around the deviant eg community, family, friends, police
- The wider origin of societal reactions- Who has the power to define actions as deviant
- The effects of labelling - does it lead to deviancy amplification
AO3 for Neo-Marxists
- 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
Definition of White collar crime
*Sutherland
Sutherland :
“a crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation
Definition of Corporate crime
*Pearce and Tombs
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”
In the USA, how much more does white collar crime cost than ordinary crime ?
10x
*Tombs
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
What is meant by Abuse of Trust and give an example?
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
What is meant by the invisibility of corporate crime ?
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
