marxism and new criminology Flashcards
Explain how crime can be seen as a form of resistance?
those involved in crime are not only victims of capitalists laws, but through crime are resisting the dominance and inequalities of the system.
crime is fight back against oppression
explain how the manipulation of values causes working class crime?
what’s seen as criminal is defined and controlled by ruling class.
capitalism controls our perceptions through the media
explain the law creation argument for crime statistics?
law is reflection of the will of the powerful
state often spends large sums of money trying to attract investments from corporations and thus govts are reluctant to jeopardise the investment by imposing laws to regulate the company.
Explain how tax avoidance and benefit fraud can be used as examples of law creation?
CEO’s can move money around accounts to avoid paying tax, this is legal
however, benefit fraud is sought after by govt vigorously, shows laws bias against working class.
explain the law enforcement argument for explaining working class crime?
laws enforced selectively, police surround working class areas and therefore are more likely to uncover working class crime
explain the motivation for crime to explain working class crime?
capitalists societies, focus is on acquisition of wealth and competition
desire for money infiltrates every strata of society.
Who says crime is criminogenic and what does this mean?
Gordon-foundation of capitalism instils and promotes individualism and selfishness leading it to promote utilitarian crime.
What does Reiman say about the kind of crime capitalism instigates?
it does not just encourage utilitarian crime
murder, rape and violence can also be explained. Economic failure is source of shame and can cause an individuals to feel frustrated and turn to crime.
How can we use the Grenfell tower as a case study for capitalist crime?
government did not carry out proper health and safety regulations on tower, they decorated tower in clad that’s combustible.
government shouldn’t have used clad.
What do Taylor, Walton and Young say to show that Marxism aligns with neo-Marxism perspectives of crime?
both say class conflict and inequality is the cause of crime
state makes and enforces law in interest of the powerful
replacing capitalism with a classless society would reduce crime
Why is the Marxist perspective of crime different to the neo-Marxist perspective?
Marxism is deterministic. example- idea that economic inequality forces people to commit crimes.
also criticise functionalism and sub-cultural theories
What are some examples of crimes of the powerful?
corporate crime
state crime
breaking health and safety laws
organised crime
fraud
environmental crime
What does Sutherland say about white collar crime?
“White collar crime” is a crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation
What’s an occupational crime as a type of white collar crime?
committed by employees for own personal gain
What’s a corporate crime as a type white collar crime?
committed by employers for their organization in pursuit of its goals
example- making money
What are some examples of contemporary white collar crime?
MP’s expenses scandal 2009- mp;aclaiming expenses that they were not owed, an illegal activity
only a few faced incarceration, most just had to pay the money back
How can the media lead to the invisibility of white collar crime?
upper class control the media, therefore will not implicate themselves in crime.
How can politics lead to the invisibility of white collar crime?
politicians are the ones committing the crime themselves. can use street crime as a political weapon to distract from corporate crime.
How can the police lead to the invisibility of white collar crime?
focus time and resources on undercovering working class crime
How can the law lead to the invisibility of white collar crime?
laws created are centred around the ruling class interest
How can under reporting lead to the invisibility of white collar crime?
people don’t report corporate crime, may work for corporation. May not know you have been a victim.
How are white collar crimes becoming more visible?
pressure groups shed new light on corporate crime, public awareness
How can we use the strain theory to explain corporate crime?
Box-if company cannot achieve goal of maximising profit by legal means, may employ illegal ones
Clinard and Yeager-law violations by large companies increased as their financial performance deteriorated
How can we use differential association to explain corporate crime?
Sutherland- crime is behaviour learned from others. if company’s culture justifies committing crimes, so will employees.
Geis- individuals joining companies where price- fixing illegally was practiced become involved as part of their socialisation
How can we use de-labelling to explain corporate crime?
Neiken-businesses have the power to avoid negative labelling
example-can afford lawyers to help avoid culpability of crimes committed like tax avoidance
How can we use techniques of neutralization to explain corporate crime?
Skye’s and Matza- individuals can deviate more easily if they can produce justification tom neutralize deviance
example- white collar crimes may say they were carrying gout orders from above
How can we use Marxist theory to explain corporate crime?
Box- capitalism caused mystification spreading the ideology that corporate crime is less than working class crime
Pearce- This sustains the illusion that it is the exception rather than the norm.
What are some of the organised crimes Chambis identifies?
illegal gambling, bookmarking, prostitution, pornography and illegal distribution of drugs
What does Chambis’ mean when he says that those involved in organised crime in America “belong to the political and economic elite”?
made up of leading businessmen, political leaders and law enforcement officers.
How does Chambis study support the Marxist theory of crime?
working class people built their way up to become more powerful through crime, world of capitalism in crime.
What do Hobbs and Dunningham mean by “glocal” crime?
global connections are involved but it remains locally based
How do Hobbs and Dunnigham believe organised crime has changed compared to the past?
previously it was formed of large criminal organisations whereas now it is more loosely individual
What link can you make between capitalism and organised crime?
those in higher positions exploit those below for profit
How can we criticise the marxist view of crime?
some capitalists countries have relatively low crime rates
example- Switzerland and japan
its often more profitable to obey the law
