Marxism & Crime

Question 1

What do Marxists focus on?

Answer 1

Issues such as laws, which are passed and how the rich and powerful benefit from them. Marxists look at the way capitalism drives people to commit crime

Question 2

What is ideology?

Answer 2

A system of ideas and beliefs. It’s seen as a fact and everyone accepts it

Question 3

What is society seen to be?

Answer 3

We are seen to be ‘brainwashed’ and this is how the bourgeoisie control the proletariat

Question 4

What did Althusser say?

Answer 4

Control is maintained through two sets of institutions

Question 5

What is the Repressive Status Apparatus (RSA)?

Answer 5

Control through government, police, armed forces, and CIS (social control)

Question 6

What is the Ideological Status Apparatus (ISA)?

Answer 6

Control more subtly, through socialisation of accepting capitalist beliefs, e.g., through media, education

Question 7

What do ISA’s show us?

Answer 7

ISAS show us those who are ‘deviant’, divide us and scare us, therefore justifying the use of the RSA

Question 8

What does Box prove through examples of theft and murder?

Answer 8

Crime is socially constructed

Question 9

What does Box explain murder as?

Answer 9

He explains murder as ‘avoidable killing’, but many avoidable killings are not seen as murder

Question 10

Who are the people who people who commit legally defined murder?

Answer 10

Usually poorer and less powerful than those who commit other ‘avoidable killing’

Question 11

What avoidable killings are not seen as murder?

Answer 11

Such as health and safety in the workplace or negligence to employers are usually ones committed by the rich and powerful

Question 12

What’s alienation?

Answer 12

Alienation is a concept used by Marx to describe a sense of powerlessness, lack of control and disconnectedness felt by the proletariat through exploitation at work and capitalism. This can drive people to commit crime

Question 13

What does Bonger say?

Answer 13

There is a link between crime and economic conditions. Crime is caused by poverty, poor living conditions and scarcity of resources. Capitalism creates competition and inequality of resources. This promotes greed and leads to materialism, racism and violence

Question 14

What does Gordon say?

Answer 14

Says there is lots of focus on violent crimes, but little attention on white collar crimes, despite the harm they do

Question 15

How does Gordon prove that in the USA, crime can be the norm?

Answer 15

91% of people said they had committed a criminal act in 1961

Question 16

What does Gordon see crime as?

Answer 16

Gordon says crime is a rational response to situations someone is in, and capitalism causes inequality, causing crime to be committed e.g., in poor neighbourhoods, jobs are low paid which can cause someone to turn to crime, the same way corporate crime is committed by middle class businesses to maximise profits – it is seen as completely rational

Question 17

What does Chambliss say?

Answer 17

Capitalism creates the desire to consume, but also creates the inability to earn enough money to meet these desires, which can then lure people to crime

Question 18

What point does Marx make that Chambliss agrees with?

Answer 18

Crime keeps some proletariat off the streets by putting them in prison (incarceration) and then employs people who work in prisons and the CJS, therefore reducing unemployment

Question 19

What did Chambliss say about crime and class?

Answer 19

Crime is committed through all classes, but it is the enforcement of the law which makes it look like just the lower classes