Marxist explanations of crime

Question 1

P. Cohen- w/c deviance and capitalism

Answer 1

• capitalism created the lives of young w/c males
• eg the tensions between the values of capitalism, stressing consumerism etc, and the values of the traditional working class

Question 2

Hebdidge

Answer 2

suggested that the smart style of the mods and their aggression towards their rivals the rockers was an expression towards their desire to be middle class

Question 3

Clarke and Cohen

Answer 3

Argued that the skinheads expressed their w/c pride by their dress, attitudes and violence

Question 4

Marshall - Cloward and Ohlin’s routes are rare in the UK

Answer 4

• most w/c youths share norms and values of middle class
• if they dont take part in subcultures then they will drift to crime (‘crew”)
• antisocial behaviour is due to boredom

Question 5

Althusser

Answer 5

proletariat are controlled by:
- repressive state apparatus (police)
- ideological state apparatus (family)

Question 6

Box - crime is socially constructed

Answer 6

• murder is avoidable killings
• not all avoidable killings are murder
• encouraged to see murder as an act involing particular actors, situations, instruments and motives