Marxism Flashcards
1
Q
Traditional Marxist theory 1
A
- Crimogenic capitalism (implies capitalism itself causes crime)
- Shown in 4 ways :
1. It can be the only means of survival in an unequal capitalist society eg homelessness
2. Capitalist ideology encourages the pursuit of materialistic values eg people are socialised in to consumerism and individualism so are more likely to engage in crime
3. WC people are left feeling alienated and frustrated by the low levels of control they have so non-utilitarian eg vandalism to compensate for the humiliation
4. WC men are likely to experience low levels of job satisfaction eg crisis of masculinity so may overcompensate for this by exaggerating their authority in other spheres eg harassment of women
2
Q
Evaluation of traditional marxist theory 1 (crimogenic capitalism)
A
- Fails to explain why crime occurs in non-capitalist societies (Gordon)
- BY blaming capitalism itself it implies that those who cause crime are victims and not at fault
- Over predicts how much crime should be occurring given that those who are disadvantaged make up a large cross section of society
3
Q
Traditional marxist theory 2
A
- Selective law enforcement (Chambliss)
- Law punishes WC offenders more harshly
- Official crime data implies that WC crime is a bigger social problem eg shoplifting, vandalism and burglary
- Crimes of the powerful are often ignored or downplayed eg fraud and tax evasion eg Prince Andrew
- This happens for 3 reasons :
1. maintenance of privilege for those in positions of power so they can retain their advantage
2. Maintenance of wealth inequalities by ensuring illegal practices go unchallenged
3. Creates the impression that underprivileged groups are the main source of social problems so it divides and rules the pop. - Reiman
- MC crime is financially beneficial and there are loopholes in law to help avoid persecution
- WC get harsher punishments and criminal records so are unable to find employment
- “Rich get richer and the poor get prison”
4
Q
Evaluation of traditional marxist theory 2 (selective law enforcement)
A
- Ignores that the crimes committed by WC people advice a bigger impact on society eg burglary negatively impacts victims
- People don’t care about MC crime and may even feel a degree of empathy towards financial offenders (normal people would do the same in their position)
- Most victims of WC crime are also WC so the law gets them justice
5
Q
Traditional marxist theory 3
A
- Law as an ISA (organisations which reproduce, justify and maintain inequality)
- The law justifies excessive controls of the WC by implying WC people are more likely to offend (more likely to be imprisoned, more likely to be stopped and searched so more likely to be placed under surveillance)
- The law reproduces inequality through selective law enforcement eg WC more likely to be convicted of a crime and get a criminal record whereas MC more likely to be punished by civil courts and get fined
- The law contributes to false class consciousness by persuading people that the law benefits everyone equally eg minimus wage legislation and health and safety legislation
6
Q
Evaluation of traditional marxist theory 3 - law as an ISA
A
- Functionalists argue that the law is designed to support value consensus and maintain social order for the benefit of everyone
- Those who work on the front line eg police are often from a WC background so don’t actively work on behalf of capitalism
7
Q
Types of crimes
- White collar crime
- Corporate crime
A
- Professional individual who commits a crime for personal gain
- Employees/bosses who break the law for the benefit of a business
8
Q
Categories of crime
A
Financial - motivated by money eg financial fraud
Crimes against consumers - customers who are victims of company negligence eg not paying minimum wage
Crime against the environment - companies operate in different ways which damage waterways, the air or land eg fly tipping
State-corporate crime - business and government officials collude together to participate in / cover up illegal activities
9
Q
Under reporting of middle class crime (5 reasons)
A
- Media gives limited coverage to the crimes of the MC eg not as interesting and those who run the media are in the same circles as those who commit crimes
- Government doesn’t have the willpower to deal with crimes committed by those with financial/social power eg large companies like Starbucks can threaten to remove themselves from the British economy and are often political donors
- Corporate crimes are complicated in nature eg technical jargon so are difficult to intervene and take resources away from dealing with crimes the public are concerned by eg knife crime + average jury would find it difficult to understand
- Corporate crimes have been labelled as civil rather than criminal offences eg compensation is often offered instead and their is little attention due to no crime committed in the eyes of the law
- Corporate crimes are hugely unreported eg victims are unaware or its society itself (eg taxes) and many victims of crime are vulnerable eg fraud victims so may not realise they have been targeted
10
Q
Evaluation of underreporting of middle class crime
A
- Many celebrities/politicians have been prosecuted and the media is becoming openly critical
- Some MC crimes are too complex and costly to investigate and would distract attention from more dangerous crimes
11
Q
5 reasons of why MC commit crime
A
- Abuse of their power of position
- Strain and relative deprivation
- Differential association
- Delabelling of MC offenders
- Capitalist values drive MC crime
12
Q
Abuse of the positions of power
A
- Carrabine
- MC people tend to have respected jobs eg doctors
- This enables them to exploit their clients eg Harold Shipman had been murdering his patients for financial benefits
- MC offenders are more dangerous than WC offenders
13
Q
Evaluation of Abuse of position of power
A
- Most people working in trusted roles are there to provide help and support to others
- His theory could lead to the mistrust of professionals who are on the most part honest
14
Q
Strain and relative deprivation
A
- Box
- Strain : pressure to achieve certain goals but something prevents it
- Relative deprivation : when a person feels deprived compared to wealthier people
- Mc people have blocked opportunities to further success eg family
- so they use innovation to achieve further success eg tax evasion
15
Q
Evaluation of strain and relative deprivation
A
- Businesses who practice ethically have better reputation and then get more custom
- Most businesses have security procedures which makes it harder
