Crime Theory Overview

Question 1

Althusser (MARXISM)

Answer 1

Control is maintained through two sets of institutions

Question 2

What is the Repressive Status Apparatus (RSA)? (MARXISM)

Answer 2

Control through government, police, armed forces, and CIS (social control)

Question 3

What is the Ideological Status Apparatus (ISA)?

MARXISM

Answer 3

Control more subtly, through socialisation of accepting capitalist beliefs, e.g., through media, education

Question 4

What do ISA’s show us? (MARXISM)

Answer 4

ISAS show us those who are ‘deviant’, divide us and scare us, therefore justifying the use of the RSA

Question 5

What does Box explain murder as? (MARXISM)

Answer 5

He explains murder as ‘avoidable killing’, but many avoidable killings are not seen as murder

Question 6

Bonger (MARXISM)

Answer 6

There is a link between crime and economic conditions. Crime is caused by poverty. Capitalism creates competition and inequality of resources. This promotes greed.

Question 7

Gordon (MARXISM)

Answer 7

Crime is a rational response to situations someone is in, and capitalism causes inequality, causing crime to be committed e.g., in poor neighbourhoods, jobs are low paid which can cause someone to turn to crime

Question 8

How does Gordon prove that in the USA, crime can be the norm? (MARXISM)

Answer 8

91% of people said they had committed a criminal act in 1961

Question 9

Chambliss (MARXISM)

Answer 9

Capitalism creates the desire to consume, but also creates the inability to earn enough money to meet these desires, which can then lure people to crime