Marxist View On Crime

Question 1

What is Marxist view on Crime?

Answer 1

1)Capitalism of criminogenic-the capitalist system encourages criminal behaviour
2)Law is made by the capitalist elite and tend to work in their interests
3)All classes not just working class commit. Crime and the crimes of the capitalist class are more costly than street crime

Question 2

What does Chambliss say about crime?

Answer 2

The Law benefits the elite and works in their interests he says property law benefits the wealthy more than those with no property.

Question 3

What does Frank Pearce say about Law?

Answer 3

Laws are occasionally passed to appear to benfit the working class for e.g. health and safety law
laws benefit the ruling class e.g. by keeping people fit to work this gives capitalist a ‘caring face’ and reinforces false class consciousness

Question 4

Evaluation of Marxism views on crime?

Answer 4

•ignores other causes of crime-Marxism focuses on class inequalities and ignores other inequalities that can lead to crime such as gender and ethnicity.
•Ignores the victim of the crime-Most of the victims of crime are the poor and working class.If Marxist views were accurate then ruling class would be victims

Question 5

Difference between Neo Marxism and Marxism ?

Answer 5

•Neo Marxist believes crime is voluntarist
•Neo Marxist believe criminals are not passive puppets of capitalism.
•Neo Marxist says crime is politically motivated

Question 6

How was the social theory of deviance?

Answer 6

Neo Marxists combine Labelling theory + Marxism=Social theory of deviance

Question 7

Taylor and Walton and young or (et al=others) combined labelling theory and Marxism which they agree with Marxism in 3 ways?

Answer 7

1)Capitalism is the root cause of criminal behaviour
2)The state creates and enforces laws for the benefit of the ruling class
3)Removal of capitalism would dramatically reduce crime

Question 8

Taylor et al Criticise Marxism?

Answer 8

Taylor et al argues Marxism is too deterministic.They reject that people commit crime for economy and lack of resources which means they don’t believe in strain theory
-They don’t believe external that cause crime e.g. biological or psychological
-They take a voluntaristic approach meaning that we have free will to do what we like as agents

Question 9

What is the Social control theory 6 stages of crime?

Answer 9

1)The structural origins of the crime
2)The immediate cause of the act
3)The act itself and meaning behind it
4)The immediate social reaction to the act
5)The wider origins of the social reaction
6)The outcome of the social reaction

Question 10

What is Stuart Hall’s view?

Answer 10

Stuart Hall’s police the crisis 1978 study show 1972-1973 saw 60 events reported as muggings
-Home secretary quoted on increase in muggings in London in the previous 4 years
-Stuart Halls examined moral panic that developed over the crime of mugging in the 1970’s
-Hall’s own research showed that it was actually growing more slowly than in the previous decade