Traditional Marxism

Question 1

For traditional Marxists…

Answer 1

the structure of capitalism explains crime

Question 2

What are the 4 Marxists explanations for crime/deviance?

Answer 2

1. Crimogenic Capitalism
2. The State and Law making
3. Selective Enforcement
4. Ideological Functions of Crime and Law

Question 3

What is crimogenic capitalism?

Answer 3

capitalism causes crime and is based on exploitation of WC

Question 4

What does GAP stand for?

Answer 4

G - Greed -> crime may be the only way to obtain consumer goods

A - Alienation -> lack of control over their lives may lead to frustration

P - Poverty -> May mean that crime is the only way to survive

Question 5

According to Marxist, why do WC commit crime?

Answer 5

Only way they can survive

only way they can get consumer goods that capitalism promotes

frustration and aggression from lack of control in their lives may result in crimes such as violence and vandalism

this known a GAP crime

Question 6

According to Marxist, why do RC commit crime?

Answer 6

Notion of the American Dream encourages people to own a lot of property and get richer

David Gordon - crime is a rational response to capitalism and found in all social classes

Question 7

Examples of crimogenic capitalism amongst WC

Answer 7

• Vandalism
• Violence
• Theft

Question 8

Examples of crimogenic capitalism amongst RC

Answer 8

• Google tax evasion
• Breaking health and safety laws

Question 9

Crimogenic capitalism A03

Answer 9

Not all capitalist societies have high crime rates - Japan has much lower crime rate than America

Question 10

What is The State and Law Making?

Answer 10

Law making and enforcement serves the capitalist class

Question 11

What does Chambliss (1975) argue for State and Law making?

Answer 11

RC have the power to prevent laws that harm their interests

Question 12

Example of State and Law making

Answer 12

Introduction of English law into Britain’s East African colonies
- Tea and coffee plantations required a lot of labour
- the African population was reluctant at first
- the British enforced a taxation that must be paid in cash
- No payment=criminal offence
- Only way to pay the tax would be working on the plantations

Question 13

State and Law making A03

Answer 13

The criminal justice system does sometimes implement laws and policies to benefit society e.g. NHS/health & safety laws

Question 14

What is selective enforcement?

Answer 14

The CJS chooses which crimes to prosecute and which they will ‘turn a blind eye to’

Question 15

What did Reiman (2001) find for Selective enforcement?

Answer 15

There is a disproportionately high rate of prosecutions for street crimes e.g. burglary and assault

Question 16

What does Chambliss argue (Selective enforcement)?

Answer 16

CJS focuses on ‘crimes of the streets’, ignoring ‘crime of the suites’

Question 17

Selective enforcement example

Answer 17

December 1984, an explosion at a pesticide plant in Bhopal India, owned by Union Carbide, lead to deadly gas fumes leaking into the atmosphere and toxic chemicals into the ground

• happened due to health and safety neglect
• 20,000 deaths and 120 000 cases of people suffering from health problems
• agreed to pay out some $470 million in compensation (1989)

Question 18

Selective Enforcement A03

Answer 18

Labelling theory suggests that police label the WC instead of just patrolling more

Question 19

What are Ideological Functions of Crime and Law?

Answer 19

Crime and Law spread ideas that help to keep workers passive

Question 20

What does Pearce say about Ideological Functions of Crime and Law?

Answer 20

Some laws benefit society such as NHS but these laws give capitalism a ‘caring face’ - promoting a false class consciousness

Question 21

What does Gordon say about Ideological Functions of Crime and Law?

Answer 21

Purpose of the ‘caring face’ of capitalism is to distract the WC from their exploitation
- puts WC against each other

Question 22

Ideological Functions of Crime and Law Example

Answer 22

Benefit thieves’ adverts

Question 23

Ideological Functions of Crime and Law A03

Answer 23

Right Realism would argue that there is a growing problem with WC crime and that Marxists fail to see the real effects of it