Crime Topic 3 - Marxism & Social Class Flashcards
What do Marxists see as inevitable in a capitalist society?
Crime
What are the two main approaches to crime and deviance discussed?
Traditional and neo-Marxist approaches
According to official statistics, which social class is more likely to commit offences?
Working class
What does Labelling Theory argue about official crime statistics?
They are problem takers assuming the stats are correct
Which theorist argued that working class have their own subcultural values?
Miller
What does Strain Theory (Merton) suggest about lower social classes?
They are denied opportunities and may pursue illegitimate means
What concept do Cloward and Ohlin use to explain different crimes in the working class?
Illegitimate opportunity structures
What is the Marxist view on the state and law?
They serve the interests of the ruling class
What does criminogenic capitalism mean?
Capitalism by its nature causes crime
List some reasons why crime may arise from capitalism according to Marxists.
- Poverty
- Consumer goods
- Alienation
What is the term used for the selective enforcement of law against the working class?
Selective enforcement
Who argued that crime is a rational response to capitalism?
Gordon
What do Marxists believe about corporate crime compared to working class crime?
Corporate crime is often ignored
What does Reiman’s quote ‘The rich get richer and the poor get prison’ suggest?
Higher-class crimes are less likely to be treated as offenses
What is the ideological function of law in capitalism according to Marxists?
To create a false consciousness among workers
What are health and safety laws seen as benefiting according to Pearce?
The ruling class
What do Neo-Marxists argue against traditional Marxist views?
They argue Marxism is too deterministic
What is the key idea of the New Criminology by Taylor, Walton, and Young?
Crime is a meaningful action undertaken by social actors
What is white collar crime as defined by Sutherland?
A crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in their occupation
What is corporate crime as redefined by Pearce and Tombs?
Any illegal act or omission resulting from negligence intended to benefit the business
What types of corporate crime are identified by Tombs?
- Financial crime
- Crimes against consumers
- Crimes against employees
- Crimes against the environment
- State-corporate crime
True or False: Neo-Marxists believe that crime is solely caused by external factors.
False
Fill in the blank: According to Marxists, the law serves only the interests of the ______.
Ruling class
What is one criticism of Marxist theories of crime?
They ignore the relationship between crime and non-class inequalities
What does the term ‘anti-determinism’ refer to in Neo-Marxist thought?
The belief that individuals have free will in committing crimes
What is the effect of labelling on deviant behavior?
Can lead to deviance amplification
What concept refers to the working class causing harm to their own class?
Intra-class crime
Who introduced the concept of ‘abuse of trust’ in relation to high-status professionals?
Burke
What is a significant finding regarding corporate crime’s impact compared to ordinary crime?
It causes more harm than ordinary crime
What are the three dimensions of corporate crime identified by Tombs?
Physical, environmental, and economic costs
What are the main categories of corporate crime?
Financial crime, crimes against consumers, crimes against employees, crimes against the environment, state-corporate crime
Financial crime includes tax evasion, bribery, and money laundering. Crimes against consumers include false labelling and selling unfit goods. Crimes against employees include discrimination and wage law violations. Crimes against the environment involve illegal pollution. State-corporate crime involves harms committed by government institutions.
What is a key characteristic of corporate crime compared to street crime?
Corporate crime is relatively invisible despite its cost and extent
This invisibility is due to limited media coverage, lack of political will, complexity of crimes, de-labelling, and under-reporting.
What are some reasons for the invisibility of corporate crime?
- Limited media coverage
- Lack of political will
- Complexity of crimes
- De-labelling
- Under-reporting
For example, corporate crime is often defined as civil rather than criminal, leading to fewer prosecutions.
True or False: Corporate crimes have increased in visibility since the financial crisis of 2008.
True
Campaign groups like Occupy and UK Uncut have made corporate crimes, particularly tax avoidance, more visible.
According to strain theory, what do companies do when they cannot achieve profit legally?
Employ illegal means
This theory suggests that as a company’s financial performance deteriorates, law violations may increase.
What does Marxism suggest about corporate crime?
It is a result of the normal functioning of capitalism
Marxism argues that capitalism creates an ideology that minimizes the perception of corporate crime’s harm compared to working-class crime.
What concept links crime to social learning in a corporate context?
Differential association
Sutherland’s theory posits that crime is learned behavior within a social context, particularly within a corporate culture that justifies criminal actions.
Fill in the blank: According to labelling theory, whether an act is criminal depends on if a _______ has been successfully applied.
label
The powerful often evade labeling due to their resources and the reluctance of law enforcement to investigate.
What is a criticism of strain theory and Marxism regarding business crime?
They over-predict the amount of business crime
Critics like Nelken argue it is unrealistic to assume all businesses would offend without the risk of punishment.
What is one example of law-abiding behavior being more profitable for companies?
US pharmaceutical companies complying with the Federal Drugs Agency
Compliance allows access to lucrative markets in poorer countries, increasing profit.
What is ‘deviant subculture’ in the context of corporate crime?
A culture where employees adopt deviant means to achieve corporate goals
This subculture socializes new members into these deviant practices.
What are ‘techniques of neutralisation’?
Justifications used by individuals to rationalize their deviant actions
Examples include blaming orders or claiming that others are doing the same.
