neo-marxism- critical criminology Flashcards
1
Q
3 ways Neo-Marxists agree with a traditional Marxist view on crime
A
- capitalist society is based on exploitation and class conflict
- The state makes/reinforces laws for the r/c, criminalising wc
- capitalism should be replaced by a classless society- reduces crime/removing it entirely
2
Q
2 ways neo-marxists (e.g. Taylor) disagree with traditional marxist perspective on crime
A
- taylor- marx is too deterministic, crime is caused by other external factors e.g. anomie, subcultures or labelling
- neo marxists have amore voluntaristic view- we have free will and are not puppets to capitalism
3
Q
According to Taylor et al, what are the 2 main sources to create a fully social theory of deviance?
A
- Marxist ideas about the unequal distribution of wealth, who has the power to make and enforce laws
- Interactionism and labelling theory ideas about the meaning of a deviant act, societies reaction , effects of deviant labels of individuals
4
Q
What are the 6 aspects of Taylor’s complete theory of deviance?
A
- The wider origins of a deviant act (unequal distribution of power in a cap society)
- The immediate origins of the deviant act (context where/why act was committed)
- The act itself (meaning for actor)
- The immediate origins of a societal reaction (reactions of surrounding people)
- The wider origins of societal reactions (structure of capitalist society, who has the power to define actions as deviant)
- The effects of labelling (e.g. why does deviance amplifications occur only sometimes)
5
Q
3 criticisms for Taylor et al’s approach:
A
- Feminists- gender blind, focuses on male criminality
- Left realists- romanticises working class criminals as robin hoods by redistributing wealth from rich to poor
- Left realists- taylor et al do not take crime seriously and how it effects wc victims
- Burke- too general and idealistic to be useful in understanding how to tackle crime effectively in society
