Traditional Marxism

Question 1

Main arguments (3)

Answer 1

Capitalism creates criminal motivation- inequalities in wealth
Law creation and enforcement is selective- theyre created by r/c in their interests
Ruling class crime is hidden- white collar and corporate crime remain unpunished

Question 2

Capitalism creates criminal motivation- Chambliss (2)

Answer 2

Capitalism encourages consumer greed and produces relative deprivation- crime satisfies with this greed

Question 3

Capitalism creates criminal motivation- Gordon (2)

Answer 3

Crime is a rational response to the capitalism system- found in all classes (w/c actually commit less crime than higher classes according to Gordon)

Question 4

Law creation and enforcement is selective- Chambliss (3)

Answer 4

Law enforcement reflects dominant ideology, only benefits r/c e.g. laws protecting private property

Question 5

Law creation and enforcement is selective- Snider

Answer 5

Laws that threaten big businesses (like health legislation) are unlikely to be enforced beyond a minimum level

Question 6

Law creation and enforcement is selective- Pearce (2)

Answer 6

Health and safety laws perform an ideological function- it keeps the workforce fit for work and makes it appear as if capitalists care about their workers

Question 7

3 ways law creation/enforcement is selective, benefitting the Bourgeoisie

Answer 7

1. Famous people acquitted for high and low-level crimes
2. Corporate crime involves more money loss than street crime
3. r/c provides justification for imprisoning w/c- labelled as misfits or ‘animals’

Question 8

Ruling class crime is hidden- Sutherland (3)

Answer 8

white-collar crime remains unpunished, 2 types:

1. occupational crime= ppl who steal from companies via their job
2. corporate crime= crime by businesses affecting consumers and employers

Question 9

Ditton and mars (occupational crime)

Answer 9

Study of bakery delivery men- thefts were seen as a part of the job as ‘perks’- labelling theory

Question 10

Box (corporate crime)

Answer 10

Big companies deliberately use less developed countries for unsafe products e.g. cigarettes kill but the sale of them isn’t a crime

Question 11

4 types of corporate crime

Answer 11

1. against consumers e.g. selling food unfit for human consumption
2. against employees e.g. failing to meet health and safety standards
3. environmental e.g. oil spillage
4. fraud e.g. identity theft

Question 12

Contemporary example- Deep Water Horizon

Answer 12

Oil spill by BP, 11 people killed, $4.525bil in fines

Question 13

Evaluation (2)

Answer 13

Highlights the impact of selective law and how white-collar crime is under-policed :)

The CJS does sometimes work against r/c :(