Marxist explanations of crime and deviance Flashcards
1
Q
What do Marxists say about crime and hegemony?
A
- Hegemony= dominant, shared system of beliefs= normal/natural
- Bourgeoise have hegemony- proletariat have been brainwashed into accepting and participating in capitalist ideology
2
Q
What did Althusser say about crime and deviance?
A
Proletariat is controlled by:
- Repressive state apparatus (violent, formal social control- police, government)
- Ideological state apparatus (subtle, informal social control- family, media, education)
3
Q
What did Box say about crime and deviance?
A
- Crime is socialy constructed
- Murder is avoidable killing BUT not all killings are murder (murder vs corporate manslaughter)
- Murder= an act involving particualr actors, situations, instruments and motives
4
Q
What did Bonger say about crime and deviance?
A
- Capitalist values (e.g: individuality, greed, competitiveness) cause crime
- The poor have no option but to commit crime (brainwashed by bourgeoise)
5
Q
What did Gordan say about crime and deviance?
A
- Capitalism is criminogenic
- Crime is a rational response to capitalism
- Both the rich (white collar crime) and the poor (desperation) commit crime
6
Q
What did Croall say about crime and deviance?
A
- White collar crime is rarely reported
7
Q
What did Snider say about crime and deviance?
A
- Capitalist state is reluctant to pass laws that regulate businesses
8
Q
What did Thio say about crime and deviance?
A
- Financial cost to society of white collar crime is 24x larger than the cost of w/c street crime
9
Q
What is the evaluation of marxist explanations?
A
- Too heavily focused on class
- Some laws protect the vulnerable (not all about the rich)
- Box’s ideas criticised for being too extreme
- Rich and powerful are prosecuted too
- Debate about capitalism as criminogenic- most citizens in capitalist countries are not criminal
