Marxist Perspective Flashcards
What is Gordon’s theory called
Crimogenic capitalism
What does Gordon’s Crimogenic capitalism mean
The nature and organisation of the capitalism society causes crime to happen
What are the four ways in which capitalism brings about crime according to Gordon
1) crime as s means of survival
2) capitalism encourages the pursuit of materialistic values
3) capitalism makes poor people feel alienated
4) lower status job roles lack satisfaction
Explain Gordon’s ‘ crime as a means of survival’
Capitalism is symbolised by the inequalities in the distribution of wealth and income, poverty, unemployment, homelessness etc. He suggests that most working class crime is a resisting and rational response to inequality examples include squatting and stealing food
Explain ‘ capitalist ideology encourages the pursuit of materialistic values’
The ideology of capitalism socialises people into the acceptance of values such as competition, consumerism, materialism etc this results in people becoming self seeking selfish individuals who see crime we am alternative way to achieve materialistic goals.
Explain how capitalism makes poor people feel alienated
Those st the bottom of the socio economic scale May experience feelings of humiliation, hostility, envy, frustration and failure and may commit crimes as a way of lashing out p to compensate for the daily humiliation of poverty and failure.
Explain how lower status job roles satisfaction leads to crime
Working class men who may lack power and authority may compensate for this by over exaggerating their authority and masculinity. E.g fighting or assault
Three evaluation points of Gordon
1) too deterministic and over predicts the amount of crime that ought to be occurring within the working classes as not all poor people commit crime.
2) ignores variables likes gender and ethnicity e.g women are statically more likely to live in poverty then men yet men commit more crime.
3) not all capitalist societies have high crime rates e.g Switzerland and Japan have much lower crime rates than the USA however in Marxists defence it is those societies that lack a welfare state that tend to have higher crime rates.
What are the Marxists concerns?
1) capitalism causes crime
2) selective law enforcement
3) the law as an ISA
4) Neo Marxism
5) explaining crimes of the rich and powerful
What dies cba bliss argue about selective law enforcement
Chambliss argues that the legal system targets the working class criminals more frequently and punishes them more harshly than middle class criminals contributing to the social construction of the OCS
In relation to selective law enforcement whip at does Riemann argue
In 1979 book ‘rich get richer and the poor get poorer’ Riemann stress that many illegal practices put the salty in s strong financial position. M/C criminals who take part in white collar crimes to boost their income are likely to go under the radar of the police and CJS and likely to use loopholes in law to maximise their profits and poorer members of society who engage in petty crimes often feel the full force of the law. generates cyclic effect as then they struggle to find employment w a criminal record and keeps them below poverty line
What are the three reasons why the law works in a selective way?
1) protect economic interests of the ruling classes
2) divide and rule the working class by turning them against one another and blaming other Woking class people for social problems
3) retain power over the state - by making people think the law is there to protect them from threatening members of the working class
First three Evaluation points of selective law enforcement
1) CJS does some times act against members of the ruling class e.g corporate crime is punished and in 2011 a large number of members of parliament were prosecuted and imprisoned because if the parliamentary expenses scandal
2) nature of middle class crimes may create a sense of moral ambiguity in people e. Many people would make a quick buck for lees effort if they could. Offences that people can understand tend to generate less public concern
3) types of crime that the types of crimes which working class people are involved with have a greater impact on their victims compared to the crimes of the middle classes involving violence, prospect damage stand anti social behaviour
’ the law as an ISA’ define ideological state apparatus
Any institution within society which transmits the ideas and beliefs of capitalism onto people persuading them to accept the way things are
ISA theory: what ideas and beliefs are transmitted via the legal system
The law supported by the media creates the view that criminals are disturbed individuals who pose a threat to society distracting from capitalism as a cause of crime
What does Box argue ISA theory:
Box develops that ides that the law is ideological further, he points out that what is defined as a serious crime according to the law tends to focus on the offences that are likely to be committed by the average person by contrast those crimes which generate less public interest are more likely to be associated with those in a position of power and this persuades people that most crime is committed by the working classes which creates a sense of divide and rule in society
IS theory: Marxists also point out that the legal system persuades working class people that it is looking out for their interests too list three examples of leaflets protections in which working class people have have to make them feel protected
1) health and safety law
2) right to union representation
3) taxation laws and welfare benefits
Evaluation points of ISA theory
1) box theory = crimes committed by working class people are of greater public interest because they are a bigger concern and threat to people’s safety most people would expect these crimes to be punished harshly functionalists the laws of society represent the values of everyone and are not just an ideological tool used to e with more power
2) left eels it’s would argue that Marxists have agenda navy to give working class criminals a victim status
Explaining crimes of rich and powerful what is the general relationship between crime and social class
Majority of convicted offenders and lesions in British jails Coke from semi skilled and semi unskilled working class backgrounds
What is a white collar crime
When an individual is in a position of professional power and commits crime for personal gain often against their employer or company
What is a corporate crime
A crime committed by employees for their organisation in pursuit of its goals
What are the five types of white collar and corporate crime
Financial crime Crimes against consumers Crimes against employees Crimes against the environment State corporate crimes
Explain financial crimes
Such a s tax evasion, money laundering
Explain crime against consumers
False labelling end selling unfit goods e.g in
Exalting crime saga isn’t employees
Such as sexual racial discrimination and violation of employee laws e.g in 2013 there were roughly 1,000 work related ew the involved with broken laws
Explain crime against the environment
Up including illegal pollution of air, water end land
Explain state corporate laws
Harms those under government institutions or businesses to peruse their goals
Five reasons middle class crimes re underreported
1) media gives limited coverage
2) government does not appear to have the willpower to deal with crimes committed by those in a position of financials or socials power
3) crimes re often complicated involving complex networks of people and activities
4) often cases are de labelled from being criminal to civil cases( compromises with victims outside legal channels)
5) crimes are under reported ( victims unaware they gave been been ta granted because the victim is society itself)
Five reasons why middle calls people may turn to crime
1) in a position of power which can be abused
2) experience a sense of static or relative deprivation
3) learn criminal skills via differential association
4) actions are not labelled as criminal
5) values of capitalism drive them into criminality
