Marxists theories of crime

Question 1

Marxists beliefs of crime

Answer 1

• agree with labelling theorists that the law is enforced against the w/c compared to the m/c
• the capitalist economic structure of society encourages crime e.g w/c receive less money - believe the law and the CJS is another tool used by the criminal justice system used by the r/c to help them maintain power

Question 2

Reasons for crime - crimogenic capitalism

Answer 2

Crimogenic capitalism (Gordon) - gives rise to blue collar crime as:
- argue most crime is a response to economic deprivation - the w/c have feelings on hostility towards the wealthy
- low income and status can lead status frustration can lead to crimes of power
- use mertons strain theory to further prove point

• gordon argues that the crimes of the m/c are underpoliced and go unrecognised within official statistics- this is because the m/c hold more social and economic power which leads to the perception that they dont commit crimes
  
  • also hold the power to bribe police etc. due to money that the w/c do not have
• this encoruages crime to happen within the m/c as they know they will get away with it

Question 3

Reasons for crime - selective law enforcement (Reiman)

Answer 3

-argue that although all classes commit crime when it comes to the enforcement of the law they can be very selective because:
- those that hold power are reluctant to pass laws that regulate the activities of businesses that allow them to get profit which benefits the r/c as they own businesses and do not work for other people e.g big business that have gone under law suits due to this
- while the powerless groups such as the w/c and ethnic minorities are criminalised, the m/c get to go free as the CJS tend to ignore their crimes due to wealth
- they have much more influence and connections which can lead to influence of legal processes

-Reiman argues that crime by the higher class is less likely to be treated as a criminal offence
- shown through statistics as the proportion of w/c that gets prosecuted is much higher and less serious crimes by the w/c are punished - r/c commit crimes that are morally and ethically wrong but still run free
- this is because the w/c are less likely to have good defences to help them within court due to lack of wealth so they are prosecuted much more harshly
- lack of money leads to them becoming more targeted as they have no defence