Ideological Functions

Question 1

What performs an ideological function for capitalism?

Answer 1

The law, crime and capitalism.

Question 2

What laws are occasionally passed? (example)

Answer 2

Those that appear to be for the benefit of the working class rather than capitalism, e.g. workplace health and safety laws.

Question 3

What does Pearce argue about laws that appear to benefit the working class?

Answer 3

They benefit the ruling class too, e.g. by keeping workers fit for work.

Question 4

What does giving capitalism a ‘caring face’ do?

Answer 4

Create false consciousness among the workers.

Question 5

How are such laws enforced? (example)

Answer 5

Not rigorously enforced, e.g. despite a new against corporate homicide passed in 2007, in its first 8 years there was only 1 successful prosecution of a UK company, despite the large number of deaths at work estimated to be caused by employers’ negligence.

Question 6

What is the result of state enforcing the law selectively?

Answer 6

Crime appears to be a largely working-class phenomenon.

Question 7

How does selective enforcement divide the working class?

Answer 7

By encouraging workers to blame the criminals for their problems, rather than capitalism.

Question 8

How does the media and some criminologists perform an ideological function?

Answer 8

They portray criminal as disturbed individuals, thereby concealing the fact that it is the nature of capitalism that makes people criminal.

Question 9

How do left realists criticise Marxism?

Answer 9

They argue that they ignore intra-class crimes, such as burglary, which cause great harms to victims