Marxism Flashcards
What are the 3 main elements Marxists say crime is based on?
- criminogenic capitalism
- the state and law making
- selective enforcement
According to Marxists who is criminogenic and what does it mean?
- capitalism is criminogenic
- it’s in its nature to cause crime
What causes w/c to commit crime according to criminogenic capitalism?
- poverty: only way to obtain consumer goods advertised by capitalism is theft
- alienation / lack of control: leads to frustration which leads to vandalism
What cause m/c to commit crime according to criminogenic capitalism?
- capitalism is a dog eat dog system
- promotes competition among capitalists
- profit motive encourages a mentality of greed
- this leads to white collar crime and corporate crime e.g tax evasion
What did Gordon say about criminogenic capitalism?
Gorden (1976):
“Crime is a rational response to the capitalist system and is found in all social classes”
Who are the key Marxists that argue state and law making?
- Chambliss (1975)
- Snider (1993)
What does William Chambliss argue about the state and law making?
- laws are to protect private property
- these are the cornerstone of the capitalism
- ruling class have power to prevent introducing new laws
- these laws could threaten their wealth
- there are few laws that seriously challenge the unequal distribution of wealth
What does Laureen snider argue about the state and law making?
- capitalist societies reluctant to pass laws that threaten wealth
- laws are written to not prevent large profits of so that rich can avoid
- big companies are necessary for capitalist societies so given concessions to benefit them
- corporate crime is more costly for society than w/c crimes
What 2 key theories argue selective enforcement?
- Reiman (2001)
- Gordon (1976)
What does Reiman argue about selective enforcement?
- street crimes e.g theft are more reported and investigated that corporate crime e.g fraud
- the more likely a higher class crime is committed the less likely it’s treated as criminal
- greater policing and more police confrontation among w/c, youths and blacks
What does Gordon argue about selective enforcement?
- helps maintain ruling class power
- reinforces ruling class ideology
- gives impression criminals are mainly w/c
- encourages w/c to blame criminals for their problems rather than capitalism
What the key case study for Marxism and crime?
Monsanto milk production
Who research the Monsanto case study?
- Fox News presenters
- Jane Akre
- Steve Wilson
What was found by the researchers about Monsanto?
- hormone BHG injected to cows to produce more milk
- BHG contaminated milk
- could case colon and breast cancer
- not properly tested by drug company
- Canadian government recorded an attempted bribery from Monsanto
- Monsanto lawyers prevented story
- sacked and released story else where
- ended up in court
Why are Fox News reluctant to produce story?
- fear of being sued
- afraid of losing advertising profits from Monsanto
How did Florida support the drug company?
- denied Jane her whistle blower claim
- said falsifying News was legal
How does the media manipulate the audience?
- gatekeepers choose what we are
- hypodermic needle
Why did the case take so long to go to court?
- fox made journalists alter draft 83 times
- company stalled until their contracts ended so they could fire them
What are the ideological functions of crime?
- laws appears to benefit w/c e.g health and safety
Pearce (1976):
- laws that appear to benefit w/c also benefit bourgeoise
- gives capitalism a caring face
- keeps proletariat in false class consciousness
What is the RSA and ISA?
Althusser:
- RSA and ISA operate to maintain bourgeoise power
RSA:
- physical force
- cohersion
- army, politicians, police, judiciary
ISA:
- keep us in false class consciousness
- used unwritten rules
- religion, family, education
What are the strengths of Marxists?
- explains why both w/c and u/c commit crime
- explains utilitarian crime
- blames the system not p
- highlights link between laws making and capitalist society
- highlights link between labelling with selective laws making
- explains how institutions work to benefit bourgeoise
- explains relation between crime and capitalism
How do feminists criticise Marxism?
- crimes aren’t due to capitalism
- they’re to exert patriarchal dominance and women commit crime out of frustration to oppression
What are the weaknesses of Marxism?
- feminism
- not all w/c commit crime (deterministic)
- Scandinavian societies are capitalist but don’t have high crime rates
- ignores ethnic/gender difference
- companies don’t always get away with it e.g compensation
- ignores interclass crime
