Neo Marxist Theories Of Crime

Question 1

Taylor, Young and Walton

Answer 1

Capitalist society is based on exploitation and the state makes and enforces laws in the interest of the upper class. However are insistent that criminals choose to break the law, a deliberate a conscious act, many being motivated by politics.

Question 2

Crime as a form of political protest

Answer 2

Neo Marxists see criminals as revolutionaries struggling to alter capitalism
Economic crimes are an attempt to redistribute rich to the poor
Vandalism is a symbolic attack in capitalism’s obsession with property
Drug use indicates a rejection of the materialistic values of capitalism

Question 3

Hall et al.

Answer 3

Over a 13 month period from august 1972, 60 events were reported as muggings in the newspapers (129% increase in mugging ) and hall et al argued that there was a moral panic which was used to reassert the dominance of ruling class hegemony,
News stories about the black muggers were exaggerated by tabloid press and were used to justify an increase in police powers and to deflect attentions away from the mismanagement of capitalism

Question 4

Hall et al. Crisis of hegemony

Answer 4

The working classes weren’t convinced that the state was exercising its authority fairly and justly in the interests of all, high unemployment and poor wages being the primary sources of agitation 
There was an increase in student militancy and the black power movement and the ruling class were finding it more difficult to govern by consent so the mugging was present as a key element in a break down of law and order

Question 5

Divide the working class

Answer 5

The working classes were effectively divided on racial grounds and the white working classes were encouraged to turn tension and frustration towards the black working class.
The treatment of the black W/c lead to violence itself which then the labelling helped to produce the figures that appeared to show rising levels of black crimes

Question 6

Evaluation : left realists

Answer 6

Criticise for over romanticising working class criminals as robin hoods who fight capitalism by stealing from the rich- reality is that most victims of W/c criminals are other working class people

Question 7

Negative evaluation : right realists

Answer 7

Most crime is opportunist and committed on the spur of the moment rather than as an attempt to right some perceived injustice