Marxist Theories of Crime

Question 1

What

Question 2

What is criminogenic capitalism?

Answer 2

• Crime is inevitable because capitalism is criminogenic meaning it causes crime.
• Capitalism exploits the working class which explains blue collar crime

Question 3

What are three ways that crime is criminogenic?

Answer 3

1. Poverty causes crime as it is their only way to survive such as theft of food
2. Consumer Goods = Encouraging obtaining goods by capitalist advertising which leads to theft of goods
3. Alienation = They may feel a lack of control over their lives which leads to non-utilitarian crimes such as vandalism

Question 4

What do Marxists believe about utilitarian crime?

Answer 4

• It is both working class and middle class people that commit crime
• Capitalism is a ‘dog eat dog’ system, they face ruthless competition and greed amongst other capitalist business owners
• They need to climb to the top otherwise they may go out of business which then leads to white collar crime such as tax evasion

Question 4

What does Gordon argue about crime?

Answer 4

• Gordon argues that crime is a rational response to the capitalist system which explains why it is found within all social classes, however the statistics make it out to be mainly working class

Question 5

What are two ways that crime maintains inequality?

Answer 5

1. Selective Law Making
2. Selective Law Enforcement

Question 6

What is selective law making?

Answer 6

• Marxist’s see law making and enforcement as serving the interests of the capitalist class
• The laws are socially constructed to benefit the rich and powerful

Question 7

What does Box argue about selective law making?

Answer 7

• Box argues that activities that rich people do are protected under the law

Question 8

What does Snider argue about selective law making?

Answer 8

• Snider argues that the government are reluctant to pass laws which threaten profits or businessmen

Question 9

What did Chambliss argue about selective law making?

Answer 9

• Chambliss argues laws protect private property as the capitalist economy own the property

Question 9

What is selective law enforcement?

Question 9

What does Chambliss argue about selective law enforcement?

Answer 9

• Chambliss argues that there is one law for rich and one law for the poor, crime control is focused on the working class and they are more likely to be prosecuted

Question 10

What does Pearce argue about selectice law enforcement?

Answer 10

• Pearce argues that bigger crimes are committed by the ruling class yet they rarely get prosecuted

Question 11

What are two ideological functions of crime?

Answer 11

1. Laws sometimes benefit the working class
2. The media depiction of criminals work for the ruling class

Question 12

How do laws benefit the working class?

Answer 12

• Laws are seen to benefit the working class such as health and safety laws however they actually benefit capitalism as it ensures healthy workers and profit can be maintained
• Pearce argues this creates a false class consciousness between the workers as it gives capitalism a caring face
• Jenabi argues these protection laws are not enforced and often are not successfully prosecuted for a death

Question 12

How does the media depiction of criminals protect the ruling class?

Answer 12

• Box argues that serious crimes are ideologically constructed to benefit capitalism and that agencies of social control such as police protect the ruling class interests and criminalize those who oppose them
• The state enforces law selectively which constructs crime to be a working class problem which then divides the working class as they are encouraged to blame the criminals rather than capitalism which maintains false class consciousness

Question 12

What are strengths of the Marxist perspective?

Answer 12

1. Provides a useful explanation of the relationship of crime and capitalism society and shows the link between law making and the interests of the ruling class
2. Looks from a macro approach, this gives a wide perspective of labelling regarding selective enforcement

Question 13

What are weaknesses of the Marxist perspective?

Answer 13

1. Too deterministic as not all working class people commit crime
2. Other capitalist societies have low crime rates which suggests capitalist societies are not criminogenic
3. Prosecution of companies does happen occasionally
4. It is difficult to interpret all laws as reflecting the ruling class interests
5. They pay little attention to victims of crime
6. class inequality ignoring other inequalities such as gender and ethnicity