Marxism and neo marxism

Question 1

Marxism arguments

Answer 1

1. capitalism is criminogenic
2. law reflects the interests of the capitalists class
3. law has an ideological function (we are persuaded that capitalism and the law is working for the benefit of all)
4. selective law enforcement (one law for the rich, one for the poor)

Question 2

Critics of marxism

Answer 2

• say people are forced to commit crime
• Ignores other social inequalities
  -over emphasise property, other crime such as knife crime

Question 3

Neo marxism arguments

Answer 3

• improves the marxist approach as they believe traditional marxists are too deterministic

Taylor et al (fully social theory of deviance)

1. wider social origins (context)
2. immediate orginins of the act (situation)
3. Actual act and meaning (robin hood act)
4. immediate orginins of societal reactions (how others react)
5. wider origins of societal reaction (how does the wider society react)
6. Outcomes of the societal reaction (will they do it again)

Question 4

critics of neo marxism

Answer 4

• same critics of marxism still apply
• ignore victims