Marxists Flashcards
What did Althusser say about the ideological state apparatus?
Controlled masses by altering the way they thought about society through social institutions such as education.
What is the repressive state apparatus?
Controlled the masses through force done by police, armed forces and legal system.
What was the main purpose of the ISA?
Make sure masses were indoctrinated by r/c ideologies
What happened when people rejected the ideology of the r/c?
Renders the ISA ineffective so social control and order must be established through the repressive state apparatus.
What is an example of use of repressive state apparatus?
US police responses to #BLM - rubber bullets, pepper spray, imprisonment.
Evaluate Althusser’s view:
- Theoretical, not based on actual data
- People can reject ideology of R/C without resorting to actions that require the RSA.
- Democratic principles in UK require state to obtain the consent of masses in order to govern.
What do Marxists say about crime in society?
Capitalism is responsible - it creates false needs whilst simultaneously denying people the means to achieve these
What does Bogner say about society?
Society is criminogenic - designed to promote crime.
How does capitalism promote crime?
Advertisers goods and services + keeps wages low to maximise profit = people turn to crime to meet these needs.
What does Chambliss (MARXIST) say?
Crime is universal throughout the class system due to individualistic nature of capitalism.
W/C criminals have limited means to commit crime so gravitate towards violent acts.
R/C has unlimited means so can commit more subtle forms of crime - corporate crime.
What did Gordan (Marxist) say?
Capitalism is a dog-eat-dog society and competition leads to criminal activities - crime is a way of getting ahead of others.
What did Snider (MARXIST) say?
Capitalism encourages corporate crime - firms will break the law to get higher profits.
Evaluate criminogenic capitalism:
Doesn’t explain why w/c criminals do not target higher social classes for criminal activity
doesn’t explain why some w/c people do not turn to crime despite precarious financial situations.
What is selective law enforcement?
Focus on the crimes of the w/c which leads to more arrests of petty crimes than white collar crimes.
perception that street crime is more harmful so enforcement agencies act upon it
What does Snider say about the cost of crimes?
Corporate and white collar crime cost society more than street crime.
Individuals involved in white collar crime are rarely prosecuted
What does Gordon say about the ideological function of law enforcement?
prosecutions of corporate crimes suggest that the criminal justice system is fair
How does law enforcement provide and ideological function for the rc?
by portraying WC as deviant and criminal, enables them to publish laws that punish those who deviate from the norms and values of society
Evaluate the selective law enforcement theory:
Increased policing of wc minority ethnic areas leads to over representation of wc and black criminality
complex nature of white collar or corporate crimes means they will often go unnoticed
What did Chambliss say about law creation?
The main purpose of the law was to protect the property of the RC from falling into the hands of the WC.
How does the creation of laws perform a RC ideology?
criminalises activities of the working class which benefits RC - protect their property
theft, trespass and copyright laws protect the interests of RC
What does Snider say about gov law creation?
Governments are reluctant to pass laws that interfere with running of businesses - they need businesses to employ people.
Evaluate the marxist view on law creation:
Laws are created for the harmonious running of society - FUNCTIONALISM
Laws protect us from violence, theft and fraudulent activities
Consumer rights and legislations protect the consumers
