Marxist theories on crime and deviance Flashcards
Key word:
What does capitalism mean
An economic system where people/companies own businesses and compete to make money
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What does false needs mean
Things that people want that aren’t necessary e.g. luxuries
They come from advertising and social pressure leading people to believe that they need new things in order to reach happiness
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What does selective law enforcement
Laws that are made to target certain groups of people e.g. based on race and class
Key word:
What does bourgeoisie mean
The M/C in society.
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What does proletariat mean
The W/C in society.
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What does agent of social control mean
Groups that help maintain social order and enforce societal norms and rules.
e.g. the police, education and religion (RSA and ISA)
Key word:
What does selective law making mean and what do Marxists argue about it
Laws created/applied to favour certain groups of people.
Marxists argue that the laws that are made benefit the ruling class and help to keep them in power.
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What does ideological control mean
Ideas that are promoted and maintained in society to shape people’s thinking.
Happens through the ISA e.g. education, media and religion in which they promote ideas that support the interests of the bourgeoisie
Key word:
What does alienation mean and what do Marxists argue
A feeling of disconnection that people experience in relation to their work, society or themselves.
Marxists argue that workers experience alienation because they become detached from the products of their labour due to the exploitation of the M/C.
They can’t feel proud of what they’ve made as they get no reward. Everything feels futile.
Key word:
What does white collar crime mean
Crimes that are financially motivated committed by businesses.
e.g. money embezzlement (money used for different intended purposes)
DONE BY THE MIDDLE CLASS
Classical Marxist views on crime and deviance:
What are classical Marxists view on crime and deviance (brief)
Classical Marxists argue that capitalism causes crime.
The system is based on the exploitation of the w/c by the ruling class e.g. create production for the m/c and in return get very little pay - if complain - get rid - abundance of workers.
This leads to the increasing wealth of the rich and the growing poverty of the poor.
Classical Marxist views on crime and deviance:
How is capitalism criminogenic e.g. pursue self interest (use sociologist)
Capitalism encourages people to look after themselves.
Gordon - capitalist societies are ‘dog eat dog societies’ in which everyone is told to look after themselves and forget about everyone else. Profit is the only thing that matters. People commit crime to achieve values of society e.g. success
Explains economic criminals e.g. thieves - what they are doing is seeking personal gain without caring for the individual victims - we are socialised to think this way as it benefits the bourgeoisie - make more money
Classical Marxist views on crime and deviance:
How is capitalism criminogenic e.g. encourages materialistic consumerism
Capitalism and the culture of consumerism encourages people to aspire to have unrealistic lifestyle goals.
e.g. McDonald’s spend billions of dollars on advertising to make products look appealing so people will buy them. This hides the reality of the exploitation of that product.
Advertising can lead to status frustration e.g. For those who lack legitimate means to achieve the materialist norm through working, feelings of anger and frustration arise as they are working-but-not–succeeding which can lead to crime.
Classical Marxist views on crime and deviance:
How is capitalism criminogenic e.g. it creates inequality and poverty (use sociologist)
Capitalism creates inequality and poverty which both lead to high crime rates
Marxists argue that the segregation of the wealthy from the poor angers - they dont have it - leading to crime such as theft and violent crime.
Chambliss - economic crime is a rational response to the inequality of life in capitalist societies e.g. drug dealers see themselves as innovative - cannot achieve success in a legitimate way - make another way.
The desire to be successful is bigger than scaredness of punishment
Classical Marxist views on crime and deviance:
How does the law benefit the elite and work in their interests e.g. property rights
Property law benefits the wealthy who are more likely to own property compared to the poor .
e.g. There are 100, 000 people recognised as homeless in the United Kingdom and 300,000 houses lying empty.
Shows how the laws benefit the ruling class. The rights of the property owners to keep their properties empty are put before the rights of the needy to shelter.
Classical Marxist views on crime and deviance:
How does the law benefit the elite and work in their interests e.g. not regulate businesses (use sociologist)
Snider (1993) - capitalist states don’t want to pass laws which regulate large capitalist concerns and which might threaten profitability.
Having tried so hard to attract investment the last thing the state wants to do is alienate the large corporations. This means that the state is reluctant to pass/enforce laws against e.g. pollution, worker health and safety.
There are laws that are supposed to protect the environment and health and safety but fines for them are low and until 2007, no singular person of a corporation could be prosecuted for damaging the environment or endangering worker safety through corporate practise.
Classical Marxist views on crime and deviance:
How does the law benefit the elite and work in their interests e.g. people have unequal access to the law
Having money to hire a good lawyer can have many impacts on how a person e.g. mean that a person has be found guilty/not guilty, how long a person goes to prison for.
Marxists argue that punishment for a crime depends on a person’s social class. Poorer criminals tend to receive harsher punishments compared to rich criminals.
e.g. Mark Wahlberg received a 2 year sentence for his racially motivated crime in the 1980s however only served 45 days. Usually a hate crime that involves violence is 7 years minimum
Evaluation on classical Marxist views on crime and deviance:
How can crime happening in non-capitalist societies challenge the idea that capitalism causes crime (WEAKNESS)
Crime still happens in communist countries where there is no capitalism
e.g. The Soviet Union in the 20th century or modern-day Cuba. Because crime happens in these countries it helps to prove that capitalism isn’t the main factor for why crime happens otherwise in communist countries there would no crime.
Evaluation on classical Marxist views on crime and deviance:
How can crime happening in a capitalist society help to show that capitalism is criminogenic? (STRENGTH)
Marxists would argue that though communist countries like Cuba are communist now, at one point they were run by capitalism and still might be capitalist in origin because there is continuous poverty and inequality caused by capitalism.
Evaluation on classical Marxist views on crime and deviance:
How do laws benefitting most people in society help to show that capitalism doesn’t work in the interests of the elite? (WEAKNESS)
The majority of people in the UK own some property; therefore laws about theft or burglary are not only bourgeois laws, they make sure that everyone’s rights/property are protected including the W/C.
Functionalists argue that law-makers are elected by everyone (over 18) and include people from a range of political positions and social backgrounds.
Everyone agrees what should happen to those who break the law - there is a value consensus - not controversial
Evaluation on classical Marxist views on crime and deviance:
How does property law benefitting the elite help show that capitalism benefits the interests of the elite? (STRENGTH)
Marxists would argue that though there are laws that protect the property of everyone’s.
The criminal justice system takes property crimes against the rich more seriously compared to the poor.
This means that the property of the rich s protected more so that they can keep their status in society and continue the exploitation of the poor.
Evaluation on classical Marxist views on crime and deviance:
How does the state not serve the interests of the ruling class e.g. law making (WEAKNESS)
The state has also created lots of laws that protect workers.
Laws such as Health and safety at work act 1974 and National Minimum Wage Act 1998, help to ensure that the W/C are protected from harm.
Means that there is less exploitation from the M/C as there are now regulations in place showing that laws are also created to not just benefit the ruling class.
Evaluation on classical Marxist views on crime and deviance:
How is committing crime a choice?
Classical Marxist theories present W/C criminals as people who cannot help but commit crime because of their economic circumstances however Neo-Marxists challenge this idea, arguing that crime is a conscious choice. W/C criminals make an active choice to commit crime.
THEY DONT HAVE TO. NO ONE IS FORCING THEM. THERE ARE LEGITIMATE WAYS TO REACH THEIR GOALS.
Neo-Marxist views on crime and deviance:
What is Neo-Marxism?
A social theory that critiques capitalism but also focuses in the cultural and ideological part of society.
Neo-Marxists argue that the economic base of society influences culture, politic and ideology but also recognise the culture can shape and influence economic and social relations.
Neo-Marxist views on crime and deviance:
What is the fully social theory of crime and deviance in ‘The New Criminology’ (use sociologist)
Taylor and Young (1976) - developed the concept of fully social theory of crime and deviance.
Uses factors e.g. class, race, gender showing how they shape people’s experience and how it can show whether or not they’ll commit crime.
Sees criminals as victims of social stigma and actively resisting elements of capitalism.
Neo-Marxist views on crime and deviance:
What do Neo-Marxist’s argue?
Neo-Marxists argue that W/C criminals make an active choice when they break the law, however they also argue that this was a positive political act against the bourgeoisie e.g. the Black Panthers – a radical black rights group in the US in the 1960s and 1970s who did engage in criminal activity in the course of their political activism.
This approach to Neo-Marxist views of crime is also known as radical criminology
Key word:
What is radical criminology?
Idea that that those with the most power in capitalist societies make laws in order to control over the W/C to prevent revolution.
(Society functions in the interests of those with the most power e.g. M/C).
Neo-Marxist views on crime and deviance:
How is crime influenced by the ‘Wider Act of crime? (use sociologist)
Taylor and Young’s (1976) - argues that when there is social inequality within society there will be crime.
Wider origins of the deviant act - refers to the power structures in society and social inequality.
Because there is a class system it means that people are more likely to commit crime because not everyone is equal or have the same amount of power which leads to people being exploited so people feel the need to commit crime in order to be more equal.
Neo-Marxist views on crime and deviance:
How is crime influenced by the immediate act? (use sociologist)
Taylor and Young’s (1976) - that particular circumstances mean that person is more likely to commit crime
Immediate origins of the deviant act - particular circumstances that have caused a person to commit the act.
e.g. If someone is living in poverty, they are more likely to commit crime compared to a person who is rich.
Neo-Marxist views on crime and deviance:
How is crime influenced by actual deviance? (use sociologist)
Taylor and Young’s (1976) - there is a reason of why people commit crime.
The actual act of deviance - What was the meaning of the deviance of the act? (Why did the person do that?)
e.g. If a person in poverty has a family commits a crime, the reason is because they need to commit crime in order to provide for their family
Neo-Marxist views on crime and deviance:
How is crime influenced by immediate social reaction? (use sociologist)
Taylor and Young’s - (1976) - the actions of those around them help to show if they will commit deviance again
Immediate origins of social reaction - the reactions of those connected with the individual - how do they react to the deviant act.
e.g. Family of the person who committed the crime may be more sympathetic to the person as they know the circumstances compared to wider society who are more likely to judge.
Neo-Marxist views on crime and deviance:
How does the fully social theory being influenced by both structural an individual agency (use sociologist) e.g. Wider social reaction
Taylor and Young’s The New Criminology (1976) - developed the concept of fully social theory of crime and deviance. seeing crime as being influenced by both structural forces and individual agency.
Wider origins of social reaction - how will the rest of society react to the act of deviance.
e.g. Wider society who are more likely to judge. and be angry with the person who committed the crime.
Neo-Marxist views on crime and deviance:
How does the fully social theory being influenced by both structural an individual agency (use sociologist) e.g. impact of social reaction
Taylor and Young’s The New Criminology (1976) - developed the concept of fully social theory of crime and deviance. seeing crime as being influenced by both structural forces and individual agency.
Impact of social reaction on future behaviour? Will the person committing the act be labelled? Will the act become master status.
e.g. if a person has committed a crime in the past however has done their time and changed and they are trying to get a job, they are less likely to get a job compared to a person who has no criminal history. (as they are still labelled as a criminal and people are less likely to trust them.
Key word:
What does master status mean
A person’s social identity and influences that person’s roles and behaviours in a societal context
e.g. if a person commits a crime they will always be labelled as a criminal
Neo-Marxist views on crime and deviance:
How do moral panics come around (use sociologist)
Stuart Hall (1978) - he examined the moral panic that developed over the crime of mugging in the 1970s.
Hall argued that a moral panic over black criminality at the time created a diversion away from the wider economic crisis through the media and The focus became on ‘black people being out of control and not how capitalism had accused problems and therefore a recession.
This was one means by which revolution or radical political change was prevented as black people were labelled and therefore people didn’t want to give them more power in fear of it being abused.
Key word:
What does moral panic mean
A moral panic is a widespread fear, most often an irrational one, that someone or something is a threat to the values, safety, and interests of a community or society at large.
e.g. ‘Mods’ and ‘Rockers’
Evaluation on Neo-Marxist views on crime and deviance:
How are most crimes not politically motivated? (WEAKNESS)
A very small amount of crime could be considered as politically-motivated or part of anti-capitalist activism.
It is rare to see crime being motivated for political reasons compared to financial gain.
Evaluation on Neo-Marxist views on crime and deviance:
How do Marxists not produce solutions to the fact that most victims of crime are the W/C? (WEAKNESS)
Left realists argue that most victims of crime are W/C.
Marxists should produce solutions to the problem of crime instead of excusing the crime by saying that crime is the only thing that the W/C can resort to.
Evaluation on Marxist views on crime and deviance:
How are Marxist views on crime seen as reductionist? (WEAKNESS)
Marxist explanations for crime and deviance are seen as being reductionist. They see everything as being related to economics.
Post-modernists argue that society is complex and broken and although capitalism and economic class might well influence people’s behaviour there are many other equally important influences. Wealth and class aren’t the only forms of power
Evaluation on Marxist views on crime and deviance:
How do Marxists present criminals as being the victims of capitalism when in reality they are not? (WEAKNESS)
Realists argue that Marxists ignore the real victims which are those who have been victim to the crime of the W/C and only appear interested in victims of the crimes of the rich and not the poor which is hypocritical.
Key word:
What are left and right realists?
Right Realism argue that individuals are responsible for the crime that they commit and advocate for tougher measures against criminals.
Left Realists argue that inequality is the main cause of crime and advocate for more community interventions to reduce crime
Evaluation on Marxist views on crime and deviance:
How do Feminists criticise Marxist views of crime and deviance? (WEAKNESS)
Feminists argue that women are left out of Marxist and Neo-Marxist views of crime and deviance and the reasoning for this is because men are much more likely to commit crimes than women are.
Women have also been socialised not to commit crime because of patriarchy, doing as you are told. Crime goes against the norms and values of society which is why men commit crime than women, they have the power to.
Evaluation on Marxist views on crime and deviance:
How does blue collar crimes being more serious than white collar crime help to show that the state isn’t acting on behalf of the ruling class? (WEAKNESS)
Usually W/C crimes are treated more seriously than M/C crimes, not because the state is acting on behalf of the ruling class but because those crimes are actually more serious.
White-collar crimes e.g. fraud involve larger sums of money however robbery and assault are more violent therefore these criminals are a greater risk to public safety therefore these crimes are treated more seriously.
Evaluation on Marxist views on crime and deviance:
How does the labelling theory help to show that class and money affect how seriously the crime is treated? (STRENGTH)
Interactionist argue that the same type of crime can be treated very differently depending on the social class of the perpetrator because of the label given to the act
e.g. In 2019 an Oxford medical student recently stabbed her boyfriend during a drug-and-alcohol-fuelled argument; the judge considered not giving her a custodial sentence because of her “extraordinary talent”.
In the same week another person who was black and W/C stabbed a person linking to a drugs and received a 2 year sentence.
Shows that class and money does matter in the way that the justice system sees people.
Link to core themes:
How does power and stratification link to Marxist views on crime and deviance?
Marxists argue that the ruling class have the power in society because they can dictate what laws are made.
Because of this the state works largely and in their interests and therefore in the interest of preserving the capitalist system.
Laws then are made by the ruling class to control the working class.
Key word:
What does stratification mean?
System of social standing
e.g. the different class (W/C, M/C)
Link to core themes:
How is socialisation the transmission of ruling class ideas? (use sociologist)
Marxists see socialisation as transmitting ruling class ideology.
This links to law and crime as the institutions of law and order serve capitalism and the ruling class by presenting the RSA (e.g. the police) as a benevolent force protecting the rest of society from villains rather than as a repressive force controlling them to serve the needs of capitalism.
Pearce argued worker-friendly laws e.g. health and safety regulations further creates false class consciousness where workers think that the state is looking after their interest when in reality it is doing the opposite and continuing to make them oppressed.
Key word:
What does agents of social control mean?
Individuals/ groups that help regulate behaviour and maintain social order within a society (Repressive State Apparatus and Ideological and Ideological State Apparatus
e.g. the police, religion, schools, the media
Key word:
What does false class consciousness mean?
A situation in which members of a lower social class are unaware to their class interests and instead adopt beliefs of the ruling class.
This misperception can lead to people to support systems and policies that work against their own economic and social interests.
e.g. workers may believe that they can achieve success through meritocracy rather than realising that because they way society is made it prevents the W/C from achieving.
