Topic 3: Marxist theories

Question 1

Chambliss

Answer 1

Law making and enforcement serve capitalist interests- laws to protect private property are the cornerstone of the capitalist economy

Question 2

Snider

Answer 2

The capitalist state is reluctant to pass laws that regulate the activities of businesses or threaten thief profitably. They have th empower to prevents the introduction of all laws that would threaten their interests, hence few laws seriously challenge the unequal distribution of wealth

Question 3

Reiman

Answer 3

Selective enforcement- courts ignore the crimes of the powerful
The more likely a crime is to be committed by higher class people, the less likely it is to be considered an offence. There are high rates of prosecutions for street crime but the system takes a forgiving view to health and safety violations and tax evasion

Question 4

Pearce

Answer 4

Ideological functions- laws are occasionally passed that appear to be for the benefit of the w/c but these often benefit the working class too e.g. keeping them fit for work. These laws five capitalism a caring face, creating false consciousness among the workers
Because laws are enforced selectively crime appears to be a w/c phenomenon creating a divide between workers. The media and criminologists portray criminals as disturbed individuals concealing the fact that it is the nature of capitalism that makes people criminals

Question 5

Carson

Answer 5

Laws that appear to benefit the working class are not rigorously enforced. In a sample of 200 firms all had broken health and safety la s at least one, but only a tiny proportion (1.5%) had resulted in prosecution.

Question 6

Taylor et al

Answer 6

Neo-Marxism- Critical criminology- trad Marxism is deterministic- seeing workers to commit crime out of economic necessity. Take a more voluntaristic view- see crime as a meaningful action/conscious choice by the actor. Crime often has a political motive- to redistribute wealth to the poor. Criminals are deliberately striving to change society. We should create a liberal and diverse society
Aim to create a full social theory of deviance combing traditional Marxism and labelling theory. This would need to unite 6 aspects: the wider origins of the deviant act, the immediate origins, the act and its meaning, the origins of immediate social reaction, the wider origins of social reaction and the effects of labelling.

Question 7

Marxists + Gordon

Answer 7

Capitalism is crimogenic- by its very nature it causes crime:
Poverty may mean that crime is the only way the w/c can survive
Crime may be the only way to obtain consumer goods encouraged I’m capitalist advertising, resulting in utilitarian crime
Alienation and lack of control over their lives may lead to frustration resulting in non-utilitarian crimes
However crime is not confined to w/c due to dog eat dog system among capitalists leading to white collar crimes.
Gordon therefore argues that crime is a rational response to the capitalist system found in all social classes