Marxism Flashcards
1
Q
Traditional Marxism
Capitalist Society
A
- Bourgeoisie own the means of production and explort the proletariat for profit because they are paid less than what their labour produces.
- Capitalism promotes the value that material wealth equates to success (materialism).
- This leads to individuals wanted the latest consumer good such as mobile phones and clothing (consumerism).
- Leading to competition between individuals to obtain these products and gain material wealth.
2
Q
Traditional Marxism
Capitalism is Criminogenic
A
- Crime is an in-built feature of a massively unequal capitalist society that emphasises making profits.
- In an unequal capitalist society, not everyone earns as much as they consume.
- Therefore, some people will try to get material goods through illegal means (e.g. theft).
3
Q
Traditional Marxism
Consequences of Capitalism
A
- Certain groups or individuals are marginalised and are unable to take part in the life enjoyed by the majority of people (Marginalisation).
- The lack of material goods causes them to have a sense of deprivation compared to others in the group they identify with (Relative Deprivation).
- Exclusion from full participation in mainstream society and denied opportunities to live the life ‘normal’ people may take for granted (Social exclusion).
4
Q
Traditional Marxism
Capitalist Law Enforcement
A
- Certain groups or types of crime are more likely to be targetted.
- Traditional marxists believe there are ways in which agencies of formal social control operate to suit the interests of the powerful (the bourgeoisie).
5
Q
Traditional Marxism
Evaluation
A
- Not all criminal law suppports the interests of the dominent class.
- Functionalists argue society is based on value consensus, not conflict between classes.
- Feminists argue that the Marxist approach focuses on class inequality too much rather than focusing on the patriarchy.
6
Q
Neo-Marxism
Hegemony
A
The social or economic influence applied by a dominent group.
7
Q
Neo-Marxism
Reinterpreting Marxist Theory
A
- Emphasises cultural and social aspects in addition to economic factors.
- Neo-Marxism emerged as a response to criticisms of classical Marxism’s economic determinism.
- Traditional Marxism failed to accoutn for other forms of oppression (gender, race, etc).
8
Q
Neo-Marxism
Social Theory of Crime
A
- Taylor aimed to create a fully social theory of deviance with two main sources:
- Marxist ideas about the unequal distribution of wealth and the power to enforce the law.
- Ideas from interactionalism and labelling theory about the meaning of the defiant act for the actor, societal reaction to it and the effects of the deviant label on the individual.
- Taylor believed a complete theory of deviance needs to unit 6 key aspects.
9
Q
Neo-Marxism: Six Aspects
1, Structural Origins of the Crime
A
- Advertising promotes material goods to individuals.
- Capitalist minimum wage being used on the proletariat to maximise profits.
- People, wanting to obtain these goods, turn to crime.
10
Q
Neo-Marxism: Six Aspects
2, Immediate Cause of the Crime
A
- Crime is universal through classes in capitalism.
- Working classes gravitate towards violent crime.
- Ruling class has unlimited means to commit crime.
11
Q
Neo-Marxism: Six Aspects
3, The Act Itself and its Meaning.
A
- The capitalist ‘dog eat dog’ society leads to crime.
- Crime is a rational act for competition.
- The working class commits crime in order to survive.
12
Q
Neo-Marxism: Six Aspects
4, Immediate Origins of Social Reaction
A
- The reactions of those around the deviant.
- Police responses, friends and family discovering the act was committed.
13
Q
Neo-Marxism: Six Aspects
5, Wider Origins of the Social Reaction
A
- The immediate reaction needs to be located in the wider social system.
- Particular attention should be paid to who has the power to define an act as deviant.
14
Q
Neo-Marxism: Six Aspects
6, Outcome of the Social Reaction
A
- No behavior is inherently deviant on its own but is made deviant based on the reaction of others.
- Labelling theory suggests that an individual who is labelled as a criminal, is more likely to become one later on.
