Neo Marxism on crime Flashcards
Taylor, walton, young
-economy is most important part of society and this is where crime is born
-capitalism is to blame for crime as it creates inequality in society
-transform society away from capitalism to prevent crime
-critical that marxism assumed ppl were passive
-we should decriminalise some offences
Key ideas in the ‘new criminology’?
-need to look at the wider capitalist society that helps generate the circumstances for crime
-use interactionalist ideas to see how all counterparts involved all interact to influence how a situation develops
-ruling class label certain members of wc to benefit themselves
-wc ppl made an active voluntaristic choice to break the law
7 aspects of crime to be considered under new criminology
-wider origins of act in capitalist society (unequal wealth)
-immediate origins of the act (context which person decides to commit)
-the actual act (meaning for individual)
-immediate origins of social reaction (reactions from those around them e.g. media)
-wider origins of societal reaction (power to define act as deviant)
-outcome of social reaction (how those labelled respond)
-nature of the whole deviant process (bigger picture)
Hall et al
-70s was a period of social crisis due to problems in capitalism, the govt needed a group that could be scapegoated and take attention away from them
-scapegoats: mugging (linked to afro-caribbean- easy scapegoat)
-media outrage at muggings
-there was a sense of injustice among ethnic minorities
-real cause of crimes weren’t addressed & were hidden by CJS
Taylor, Walton & Young’s views on ordinary criminals etc
-should be seen as someone fighting injustice
-they were sympathetic towards the decriminalisation of some offences
rock & carlen (etv of neo-marx)
-Rock=it gives a too rose tinted view of criminals, seeing many as politically motivated prisoners but this doesn’t apply to robbers
-Carlen=no proper discussion of the power of patriarchy and women in crime
-methodologically hard to apply
