Marxists and Neo marxists

Question 1

Traditional marxists causes of crime

Answer 1

• A capitalist society is criminogenic- economic self interest and inequality of capitalism
• The law reflects ruling class interest and ideology
• Selective law enforcement

Question 2

Chambliss (1975)

Answer 2

The law is made by the ruling class and reflects their interest above all others.

Question 3

How does neo marxism differ from marxists?

Answer 3

• NM attempts to develop a more sophisticated approach to crime than TM.
• Marxists are too deterministic (suggest people are driven into crime outside of their control)
• Crime is voluntary
• WC is symbolic (take from rich and give to poor)

Question 4

The new criminology, Taylor et al.

Answer 4

• Accepted elements of marxism but said it had to be integrated with interactionism.

Question 5

Ruling class is hegemonic

Answer 5

• Elites use media to give unbalanced views that makes their enemies, the WC, look guilty.
• They legitimize their crull actions and make society reliant on their knowledge.

Question 6

Moral panic and demonisation

Answer 6

Whipping up a storm in the media to demonise people who threaten you and distracts everyone from your criminal actions.
- Eg. Black muggings 1980s.

Question 7

Evaluations of marxism

Answer 7

• Over-emphasise property crime
• Over-emphasis on class inequalities
• Feminists regard marxist theories of crime as malestream
• TM is too deterministic
• Pays little attention to the victims of crime. NM in particular tend to romanticize WC crime.