CRIME AND DEVIANCE TOPIC 3: CLASS, POWER AND CRIME Flashcards
in what way do MARXISTS agree with labelling theory?
- the law is enforced selectively (biased) to set up people (the w/c) to be penalised more harshly
in what way do MARXISTS criticise labelling theory?
-fails to explain why labelling is caused in the first place (due to power inbalances)
how do MARXISTS view capitalist society?
-capitalism is a root cause of crime
what is criminogenic capitalism?
-the nature of capitalism causes crime
-crime is inevitable in capitalism as it is the very thing that causes it =it’s based on the exploitation of the w/c, by exploiting them
what does GORDON say crime is?
Gordon (1976) - crime is a rational response to the capitalist system and hence it’s found in all social classes, despite officials statistics presenting as a w/c phenomenon
what are 3 ways in which capitalism may lead to w/c crime?
-SURVIVAL: there is a wealth-divide= leads to people needing to survive by stealing goods such as food or medication due to poverty
-MATERIALISM: can’t afford material goods= commit crime to gain access to what the m/c are privileged to have already.
-FRUSTRATION: capitalism creates power inequalities= use crime to vent their anger into something.
what is the state and use of law making? (CHAMBLISS)
-lawmaking and law enforcement serves only the interests of the capitalist class
-Chambliss (1975) suggests that laws which protect private property are the cornerstone of the capitalist economy
what is an example to explain the marxist view of the law?
-East African countries e.g. Kenya didn’t operate on a financial economy so the British introduced compulsory taxation-> the only way to pay was to work= exploitation of these workers
according to SNIDER, what laws is the state reluctant to pass?
-laws which restrict the policies of big businesses
what is selective enforcement?
-law applied to those who are lower-class in society
-while the powerless groups like the w/c and ethnic minorities are criminalised, the police and courts tend to ignore the crimes of m/c
according to PEARCE, why are some laws passed that seem to benefit the w/c?
-Pearce (1976) suggests they solely keep workers fit for work to benefit the ruling class, giving capitalism a ‘caring’ face and creating false consciousness among workers (tricking workers into thinking the system cares about them)
why are some laws rarely enforced?
- rarely enforced= using them would weaken the power of the m/c
-e.g. few businesses are prosecuted when a worker dies at work
what is the impact of selective law enforcement?
- divides and rules the population by making w/c people think that other w/c people are responsible for society’s problems
how do the media and criminologists contribute to the portrayal of criminals?
- criminal are just ‘disturbed individuals’= distracting from capitalism as a cause of crime
what are 5 criticisms of marxist theory?
- ignores non-class issues (gender inequalities/ethnicity issues)
- deterministic= not everyone commits crime as its only a minority)
-low crime rates in some capitalist societies
-criminal justice system does prosecute rich people
-crime is INTRA-CLASS (between 2 classes e.g. w/c and m/c)
(crimes like burglary and ‘mugging’ which cause harm to individuals)
NEO-MARXISM: what are 3 ways TAYLOR ET AL agree with marxists?
-capitalism is a source of inequality and conflict
-the state makes laws which benefit the powerful
-In a classless society there would be less crime
NEO-MARXISM: according to TAYLOR ET AL, in what way is marxism deterministic?
-it assumes people are driven to commit crime by external factors linked to capitalism so thus ignores other factors
according to NEO-MARXISTS what is a voluntaristic view?
-people make a conscious choice to commit a particular offence
what are 2 main sources of a full social theory of deviance?
- traditional marxism
-interactionism and labelling theory
what are the 6 aspects of a fully social theory of deviance?
1) understand how wealth is distributed
2) consider particular circumstances that can influence the individual
3) consider the deviant act itself (why did they do it?)
4) understand why wider society react to what happens e.g. gun violence
5) understand who has the power to make a difference (ppl w/ power to enforce law)
6) understand the impact of labelling the individual a “criminal” and society are influenced
according to REIMAN AND LEIGHTON how are crimes committed by higher classes treated in comparison to ‘street crimes’ ?
-when wealthy ppl are less likely to be punished but street crimes get punished frequently and harshly
according to SUNDERLAND what is white collar crime?
-crime committed by a person of responsibility and high status
what are the differences between occupational crime and corporate crime?
- occupational: individuals benefit from committing the crime e.g. embezzlement
-corporate: employees commit offences to make company gains
what’s an example of something which can be harmful but doesn’t break the law?
-administrative offences e.g. using loopholes to avoid tax
in what way is PEARCE AND TOMBS’ definition of white collar crime different from SUNDERLAND’S?
- actions which break civil law should be treated as criminal
according to PEARCE AND TOMB why does corporate crime do more harm than street crimes
-dodging paying 💰 causes more harm than claiming 💰
-e.g. in 2013 £1.2 billion of benefits was claimed fraudently but in the same year £34 billion of expected taxes were not paid!
what is financial crime? (CORPORATE CRIME)
-crimes committed for financial gain
what are crimes against consumers? (CORPORATE CRIME)
- crimes committed against consumers
what are crimes against employees? (CORPORATE CRIME)
- crimes committed against employees
what are crimes against the environment? (CORPORATE CRIME)
- crimes committed against the environment
e.g. crude oil spillage
what is state-corporate crime? (CORPORATE CRIME)
-crimes committed by the government agencies for their own interests
what’s an example where someone of high-status profession used their position to commit crime?
- Dr Harold Shipman: as a doctor he was expected to help heal people but abused his power by exploiting his patient’s trust and killing them for his own benefit
reason for the invisibility of corporate crime: media
- the media ignores corporate crime or describes it in a ‘sanitised way’ which makes it seem less serious
reason for the invisibility of corporate crime: lack of political will
- politicians fail to be tough on corporate crime and do little research into its frequency
reason for the invisibility of corporate crime: the crimes are often complex
- law enforcers lack the means to investigate and prosecute offenders
(most influential)
reason for the invisibility of corporate crime: de-labelling
- corporate crimes have been de-labelled as civil rather than criminal offences and offenders are rarely prosecuted
reason for the invisibility of corporate crime: under-reporting
- corporate crimes are under-reported as individuals may not realise they’ve been victimised/ may feel uncomfortable taking on corporations in court
why has corporate crime become more visible since 2008?
- growth of agencies which investigate such offences and more media coverage of them has been done
explanations of corporate crime: strain theory
- according to BOX: it explains how companies who can’t maximise profits legally use criminal means instead=
innovate in order to make more 💰 = law violations committed inc. their financial performance
explanations of corporate crime: differential association
- joining a culture of illegal practices which are socialised into the ‘normal’ = adopting an ‘enterprise culture’
explanations of corporate crime: labelling theory
- don’t see what they’re doing as a crime, m/c are less likely to be charged due to the capitalist system since they seem to have ‘fewer incentives’ to commit crimes
explanations of corporate crime: marxism
- corporate crime is driven by values of capitalism, law enforcers are more willing to ignore crimes of ruling class
