Term 2 Lecture 6- Marxist and Radical Criminology

Question 1

What are the key readings?

Answer 1

Newburn and Becker

Question 2

What are the key points from Newburn?

Answer 2

There is too much of a focus on proletariat criminality and not Bourgeois
Deviance is due to social protest
The law relates to class dominance and social values
Vold= people are group orientated and develop strong attachments

Question 3

What is under scrunity?

Answer 3

Crime, law and criminal activity

Question 4

Who creates laws?

Answer 4

By people who hold power

Question 5

How should we look at social control?

Answer 5

Within the wider socio-economic order, structure and state

Question 6

What does Karl Marx say about crime?

Answer 6

No excusing of crimes and suggests that there is reason for criminal acts
Punishment cannot prevent crimes if the society they occur in is based on exploitation, oppression and racism

Question 7

What are the 2 Marxist elements of society?

Answer 7

Consensus and conflict

Question 8

How should crime and deviance be linked?

Answer 8

To a general model of class-based society and state

Question 9

What is crime seen as?

Answer 9

A particular form of conflict

Question 10

What are the key points from the Communist Manifesto?

Answer 10

Ideas are due to an outgrowth of conditions of Bourgeois production
Character depends on economic conditions and class
The labourers are a commodity

Question 11

What is commodity production?

Answer 11

A production of commodities who sale products capital which accumulates profit for capitalism

Question 12

What does commodity production require?

Answer 12

A mass of individuals who must sell their labour power

Question 13

What is the tie between the capitalist and worker?

Answer 13

The extent they can be used

Question 14

What are the 2 elements of capitalism?

Answer 14

Structural Inequalities & Structural Conflict

Question 15

What does Lanier and Henry say about Marxist ideas?

Answer 15

Capitalism causes inequalities of wealth
Owners of large corporations influence decisions of those with political power

Question 16

What does Marxism say that crime is caused by?

Answer 16

Defects in the social order

Question 17

Why is crime a feature of capitalism?

Answer 17

It is an expression of basic social inequalities

Question 18

What context is criminal behaviour in?

Answer 18

Class relations and nature of the law associated with modes of production

Question 19

What did Willem Bonger observe?

Answer 19

Economic inequalities in capitalism and inherent competition egoism increasing criminal conduct

Question 20

What did Willem Binger focus on?

Answer 20

Poverty as they are important to understand economic criminality and class as intellectual condition of the proletariat is the reason why the moral plane is not high

Question 21

What does Chambliss say about radical criminology?

Answer 21

Class contradictions create crime
Capitalism creates the desire to consume and inability to create the capital necessary
There is conflict between owning class and working class
Law is designed against the act of proletariat that threatens the bourgeoisie

Question 22

Whar does Quinney say about radical criminology?

Answer 22

Criminal law is an instrument of the state and the ruling class to perpetuate social order
Crime control is accomplished by government elite representing ruling class interests

Question 23

What are the key ideas from Taylor, Walton and Young?

Answer 23

Capitalism shapes social institutions, social definitions, and social actions
Capitalism creates class conflict and contradictions
Crime is a response to capitalism and its contradictions
Capitalism shapes society’s responses by shaping law

Question 24

What are examples of white collar crimes?

Answer 24

Financial, crimes committed against consumers, employment relationships, crimes against the environment

Question 25

What does Croall say about white collar crime?

Answer 25

It has low visibility, it is complex, it isn’t easily detected and challenges in prosecution

Question 26

What is a Marxist theory of crime?

Answer 26

The State is organised to serve the interests of the capitalist state
Criminal law is an instrument of the capitalist state
Capitalist crime control is accomplished through coercive and welfare instructions
The criminal justice system concentrates on detection and processing of minor offences committed by lower classes
Only with the transition to socialism there will be a solution to crime

Question 27

What is the advantages of radical criminology?

Answer 27

Traces causality to issues and problems in social structures (class and patriarchy)
Sheds light into problems endemic in the administration of justice
It illustrates crime statistics as socially constructed
Brings morality and politics to the ‘table’ (criminology narrative and arena)

Question 28

What is the limitations of radical criminology?

Answer 28

Teleology: Crime is seen as a product of capitalism and criminalisation maintains capitalism. While it demonstrates why ‘crime’ is considered as functional it does not explain why it exists.
Idealism: a) Places increasing emphasis on a crime-free society, b) crime is seen as a form of resistance, c) too much emphasis on State not on victims
Determinism: a) Heavy focus on structure, b) ‘Boxed into a fixed position’ (actor)

Question 29

What is Brown et al 4 types of crime?

Answer 29

Crime from labour disputes, from political protest, fro, disputes between nations and from racial disparity

Question 30

What are Turk’s 4 levels of conflict?

Answer 30

Organised and sophisticated, organised and unsophisticated, unorganised and sophisticated, unorganised and unsophisticated,

Question 31

What does Turk say about high power imbalances?

Answer 31

There is high criminality

Question 32

What are Quinney’s 6 propositions?

Answer 32

American society is based on a capitalist economy
The states serve interest to the dominant economy class
Criminal law is an instrument of the state
Crime control is through capitalist society
Contradictions of advanced society
Collapse of capitalist society will save crime

Question 33

What does new criminology focus on?

Answer 33

Human diversity and breaking down of correctionalism

Question 34

What does new criminology say about capitalism?

Answer 34

Capitalism shapes social institutions and creates class conflict
Crime is a response to capitalism
Capitalism law conceals crime of domination and repression
Crime is functional to capitalism
Capitalism shapes society’s response to crime