Marxist / Neo-Marxist Theory Of Crime Flashcards
What is Marxism
A structural theory that sees society as unequal and that the u/c exploit the
w/c and laws work against the w/c and in favour of the upper class.
What are the 3 elements that explain crime
1- criminogenic capitalism
2- the state and law making
3-selective enforcement
What is criminogenic capitalism
Capitalism causes crime
-poverty- crime is the only way for the w/c to survive as they are exploited by the u/c
- crime only way to obtain consumer goods encouraged to buy by capitalist advertising which leads to theft.
- alienation leads to frustration and aggression can cause violent and vandalism to release this frustration.
What does the state and law making mean
Laws serve the interest of capitalists
-u/c have the power to prevent the introduction of laws that would threaten their interests. Eg health and safety laws in the workplace
What does selective enforcement mean
W/c and ethnic minorities are targeted by the police and courts tend to ignore crimes of the powerful.
What is ideological functions of crime and law
Laws that are passed may appear to benefit the w/c but often are made in the interest of the u/c.
Eg NHS- keep workers fit for work and creates a false consciousness for workers that the u/c care about them, to stop the, realising they’re being exploited,
Evaluation of Marxism
❌- ignores relationship between ethnicity, gender and crime and only focus’ on class.
❌- too deterministic- overestimates the amount of w/c who commit crime to overcome their frustration and ignores those who legitimately follow the norms and values of society.
✅- takes into account the wider causes of crimes not just the individual but the structures that act upon them.
Neo- Marxism
Critical criminology
Look at the individual as well as structural factors
3ways neo-Marxists are similar to traditiona Marxists
1- capitalist society is based on exploitation of w/c and class conflict and the inequality’s of wealth and power.
2- the state make and enforce laws in the interest of capitalists and target the w/c.
3- capitalism should be replaces by a classless society
The myth of black criminality
Gilray
- denies that black people are for likely to commit crime than other ethnic groups but the stereotypes in society lead to labelling therefore leads to selective policing of black groups.
- the reaction from the police public and media = withdrawal from mainstream society and them to form their own subculture and can lead to self-fulfilling prophecy
What is white collar crime
Crime committed by a person of high social status in their job
Eg - fraud, bribery, misconduct
What is cooperate crime
Illegal act Committed by an employee for their organisation to benefit the business.
Eg money laundering, tax evasion, selling unfit goods, violation of wage laws and health and safety laws.
Why white collar crimes and cooperate crimes are underrepresented
1- relatively invisible - appear to be doing normal job and covered up by high business men.
2-more likely to get not guilty as jury think crime is mainly w/c see m/c as honest respectable people.
3- don’t have personal victims and lack of awearness- target people at large so no reports made because people don’t know it’s happening.
4- hard to investigate - requires a lot of skill and expert knowledge which polive may lack
Why people commit white collar and corporate crimes
Marxism- they’re driven by criminogenic capitalism the need to maintain profit and beat competing buisnesness’ = price fixing- tex revision, fraud.
Control theory- driven by socialization into aggressive competitive culture that encourages ruthless buisness practices when competing eg selling unfit goods.
Relative deprivation- lacking things they see others have so they want more than they can achieve by ligitamte means so turn to illegitimate means to gain them- fulled by greed and power - more they have the more they want
