Neo-Marxism: critical criminology

Question 1

Intro- Critical criminology

Answer 1

Influenced by marxist ideas, but combine views with other approaches like labelling theory- most important contribution; The New Criminology, by Taylor, Walton and Young:
Taylor- agrees w/ marxists that:
* cap society- based on exploitation/class-conflict/extreme inequality of wealth/power
* state enforces laws in interest of cap class/criminalises w/c members
* cap should be replaced with classless society- would abolish/reduce crime significantly
their book is mostly a critique of existing social theories (including marx/non-marx approaches) of c/d- describe own approach as critical criminology

Question 2

Intro- Anti-determinism

Answer 2

Marxism= deterministic, e.g., sees workers as driven to commit crime out of economic necessity:
* but they reject this idea- along with other external factors (e.g., anomie, labelling, biological factore etc.)
* they take a voluntaristic approach- idea that we have free-will
* see crime as a meaningful action/conscious choice- argue crime has a political motive (e.g., redistributing wealth)
* criminals are not passive puppets whose behaviour is shaped by cap; they are deliberatley striving to change society

Question 3

A fully social theory of deviance

Answer 3

They aim to create a comprehensive understanding of c/d, helping to change society for the better; the theory has two main sources:
* marxist ideas about unequal distribution of wealth/people holding powe to make/enforce laws
* interactionist ideas about meaning of the deviant act for actor, societal reactions to it and effects of deviant label on individual
This theory would need to unite 6 aspects:
1. the wider origins of the deviant act- unequal distribution of wealth in cap society
2. the immediate origins of the deviant act- particular context where actor commits crime
3. the act itself- meaning for the actor
4. the immediate origins of societal reactions- reactions of those around the deviant
5. the wider origins of social reaction- in the structure of cap society, esp the issue of those in power defining actions as deviant
6. the effects of labelling - deviant future’s actions; leads to amplification?
They are inter-related- need to be understood as a single unified theory

Question 4

AO3

Answer 4

Criticisms:
1. feminists- is ‘gender blind’, focuses excessively on male-criminality at the expense of female criminality
2. LR- (1) romanticises w/c criminals as ‘robin-hoods’; fighting cap by re-distributing wealth, but in reality the criminals mostly prey on the poor. (2) dont take w/c seriously; ignores effects on w/c victims
3. Burke- too general to explain crime, too idealistic to tackle it (but Hall did apply approach to explain moral panic over mugging)
They’ve all changed their views since the publishing, but Walton and Young defend some aspects still:
1. calling for greater tolerance for diversity in behaviour- the book combated the ‘corectionalist bias’ in most existing theories- assumption that sociology’s role is to find ways of correcting deviant behaviour
2. the book laid foundations for later radical approaches seeking to establish a more just society (e.g., LR/Fem theories)