Marxist Perspective Flashcards
Marxist Views on crime
Capitalism = Criminogenic
Crime = inevitable in capitalistic society
Unequal distribution of wealth = unequal opportunities = alternative means of achievement
How capitalism causes crime
Legitimises greed & selfishness
People encouraged to prioritise their own needs (r/c = admired for wealth)
Competitive (ppl encouraged to exploit the weak > support them)
Laws & Capitalism
Laws support capitalism
Laws are not applied equally (selective law enforcement exercised on w/c)
Attitudes to crime represent capitalistic ideology
Gordon Theory
Social class = necessary for society - capitalism operates to control the w/c and benefit the wealthy
Selective Law Enforcement: Inequalities in the application and enforcement of laws
- Tax Fraud = low prosecution rate
- Benefit Fraud = high prosecution rate
Croall Theory
The seriousness of corporate crime is often softened through descriptive language
Language is used differently with the description of crimes committed by different classes
Frames a narrative of severity or lack thereof
Chambliss Study
Seattle Study:
Web of connections between organised crime & politicians, senior police officers & businesspeople
- Evidence of widespread corruption whereby the illegal activities of these rich people were frequently ignored
- Policing policy was focussing on w/c crime and w/c areas rather than the m/c
Bonger Theory
Capitalism is based on greed, selfishness & exploitation
Deprivation = key motivator behind crime
W/c people commit crime for 1 of 2 reasons:
1. Physical needs & wants
2. Sense of frustration and injustice caused by deprivation
Bonger :(
Contemporary Mxs argue that this obscures the Mx dark side evaluation of white collar crime & corporate crime
Pearce Study Findings & Conclusions
Members of the social elite would not survive a close legal scrutiny of their business or professional lives (contained crime in some aspect)
Ideology of crime as a w/c problem subtly obscures the extent of white collar crime whilst generating a moral concern about the extent of the w/c
- Fraud (or other wh/cl crime) = cannot see
- W/c crime (street fights / brawls / etc.) = can see
Snider Theory
INEQUALITIES IN WHO BENEFITS FROM THE LEGAL SYSTEM
- Laws appear to treat everyone equally though still benefit the r/c
- Laws affecting the r/c = not rigorously enforced (Benefit fraud = chased up / Tax evasion = less focussed)
Neocleous Theory
Police have been a tool of capitalism since they were first established
- Created a social order by criminalising certain actions of workers
**Concept of law & order is an acceptance of capitalist models of thinking
Box Theory
Inequality in the access to the process of creating laws
- Difficult for poorer groups to get representation
Marxism :)
L/R: Financial struggle is the source of crime
