marxist theories, class power and crime Flashcards
whats does marxists believe?
society as a structure in which the economic base determines the shape of the superstrucure made up of other social insititutions (state, law criminal justice system)
according to marxists, what is the function of society?
to serve the ruling class interest and maintain the capitalist economy - capitalist society explains crime
what does traditional marxists bvelieve generates crime and deviacne?
the expoitative structure of capitalism - legal system is not neutral body but reflects the economic, legal and moral interest of the ruling class
what are the two societital opposiing camps?
proletariat and bourgeoisie who have a conflict of interest
what does marxists focus on?
- power
- conflict
- expoitation
- domination
what are the 4 main elements of crime according to marxists?
- criminogenic capitalism
- the state of law making
- selective enforcement
- ideological functions of crime and law
what is criminogenic capitalism?
the very nature of capitalism it causes crime
how does criminogenic capitalism explain crime and deviance?
capitalism involves expoitation of the working class results living in poverty and means that crime is the only way the working class can survive
how does alienation result in crime and deviance?
capitalism may lead to fustration and aggression, leading to non ulartarian crimes such as vandalism and violence
why is crime not confined to the working class?
gordon - crime is a rational response to capitalism hence its found in all classes
maxwells study
middle class may commit corportate crime because of the greedy nature of capitalism (tax fraud, white collar crime)
how does the state of law making expain crime and deviance?
the process of law making reflect the views of the ruling class
chambliss - law protects private property support the foundations of capitalism
capitalist state is reluctant to pass laws that challenge the unequal distribution of wealth
snider - capitalist state are reluctant to pass laws that regulates the activites of businesses or threaten their profitability
how does ideological function of crime and law explain crime and deviance?
pearce - laws benefit the ruling class keeping workers fit for work by giving capitalism a ‘caring face’ - support the false class consciousness
laws are passed to apear to be for the benefit of the working class rather than capitalism
how does selective enforcement explain crime and deviance?
while all classes commit crime, criminal justice process makes selective enforcement
what is selective enforcement?
the idea that the powerless or working class groups are more likely to be criminalised than crimes committed by the powerless
what is an example of an ideological function of law making?
jenabi - despite a new law against corporate homocide being passed in 2007, the first eight years there was only one successful prosecution against a uk company
what was the bhopal disaster?
american owned multi national company, set up a pesticide plant in bhopal - the plant accidently leaked deadly gas fumes into the surrounding atmosphere. the leak resulted in 15,000 deaths
indian state supported capitalist development in the interest of allowing profits to be made and yet no criminal charges
how can you evaluate traditional marxists
ignores the relationship between crime and important non class inequalities - ethnicity, gender
deterministic - assuming all working class commits crime
strain theory argues that marxists failed to look at the blocked legal oppotunitites in creating crime and deviance
not all capitalist societies have high crime rates
what are neo marxists?
sociologists who have been influenced by many of the ideas put forard by traditional marxism but combines these ideas from other approachs such as labelling theory
what is capitalist society based on according to neo marxists?
capitalist society is based on expoitation and characterised by extremem inequalities of wealth and that this is the key to understanding crime
what does the state do according to neo marxists?
the state makes and enforces laws in the interests of the capitalists class and criminalises memebers of the working class
what does neo marxist argue?
neo marxists argues that capitalism should be replaced by a classless society.
this would greatly reduce the extent of crime
how does neon marxists criticise mrxists view?
marxists are deterministic
what view does neo marxists take?
takes a more voluntarisitic view, in that individuals have free will and crime is a meaningful action and a conscious choice by the actor
criminals are not passive puppets whose behaviour is shaped by the nature of capitalism; they are deliberately striving to change society
individuals should not be labelled deivant just because they are different
what view does taylor et al take?
taylor takes a neo marxists view
what are taylors social theory?
two main sources:
- traditional marxists idea bout the unequal distribution of wealth and who has the power to enforce these laws
- interactionalist and labelling theory about the meanings of the deviant act for the actor, societial reactions to it and the effects of the deivant label on the individual.
what 6 aspects is required to complete the theory of deivance?
- wider origin of the deviant act in the unequal distribution of wealth and pwer in capitalist society.
- immediate origin of the deivant act
- act itself and its meanings for the actor
- immediate origins of societal reaction
- wider origins of societal reaction
- effects of labelling
what does occupation crime mean?
crime committed by employees for personal gain
what does corporate crime mean?
crime committed by employees for their own organisations
what 3 examples of financial crimes are there?
- tax invasion
- money laundering
- illegal accounting
what 2 examples of crime against customer are there?
- false advertising
- selling unfit goods
what 2 examples of crime against employees are there?
- sexual discrimination
- racial discrimination
what examples of crime against the environment are there?
illegal pollution
what state - corporate crimes are there?
government coming crimes - persecution
why is corporate crime ignored?
- de labelling - corporate crime is filtered out from the process of criminalisation - police often target street crimes
- under reporting - the victim of coporate crime is society at large or the environment which makes reporting and recording hard
evaluate why corporate crimes are ignored
- campaigns against organisations has increased
- whistle blowers (person who informs on a person or organization regarded as engaging in an unlawful or immoral activity)
- jounalists more willing to cover coporate crime in their news value
how does box explain corporate crime?
if a company cannot achieve its goals of maximising profit by legal means, it may use illegal means instead
how does clinard and yeager explain corporate crimes?
law violations by large organisations increase their financial performance deteriate in aiming to achieve profit
what is differential association?
sutherland - sees crime as a behaviour learned from others in a social context
companies culture justifies committing crimes to achieve corporate goals, employees will also be socialised into this cirminality
how does Geis explain corporate crime?
people join companies where illegal price fixing was practiced became involved in it as a part of their socialisation
what is the techniques of neutralisation?
skyes & matza - blaming the customer for not reading a small print
