CRIME AND DEVIANCE - MARXISM

What are the traditional Marxist views on crime?

crime is a product of poverty, crime is brought about by capitalism

Balzac quote on crime?

behind every great fortune lies a great crime

What does it mean that capitalism is ‘criminogenic’?

crime is inevitable due to capitalism

what does Gordon say about crime as a reaction?

crime is a natural reaction to capitalist foci: greed,profit, competition and materialism. Society should not be surprised at the rate of working class crime, he is surprised there is not more of it 

What does relative poverty mean?

means some struggle to survive or are excluded from the consumer society and this encourages crimes like theft, vandalism and violence because the perpetrators have been socially excluded.​

What kind of theories are marxist and feminist theories?

conflict

How can Marxist and functionilist views be seen to be similiar?

see people’s behaviour moulded by the social structure, but Marxists regard this structure as based on conflict between social classes with social inequality as the driving force behind crime.​

What does Chambliss argue that law does?

Protecting private property (inheritance) ​

What does Synder say about laws?

Laws to protect business profits

What does Chambliss say about laws and ruling class ideology?

Laws are not an expressions of value consensus, as functionalists contend, but as writers such as Chambliss (1975) argue, they are instruments of the ruling class and they reflect the values and beliefs found in ruling-class ideology.​

What does Reiman (2001) warn about crime?

Invisibility of white collar and corporate crime

Wht does Box (1983) say about crime and social construction?

argues that what is defined as serious crime is ideologically constructed. Serious crime is identified as property crime and violence committed by members of the working class, rather than as the major harm caused by corporations- such as environmental damage caused by oil spills or by governments such as human rights violations and war and genocide.​

What does Snider (1991) say about health and safety laws?

argues that capitalist states will pass health and safety laws, or laws against pollution and other laws that regulate private business, only when forced to do so by public crises or union agitation. They will strengthen them reluctantly, and weaken them whenever they can. If they can avoid enforcing them then they will.​

What does Chambill say about why there are high rates of working class crime?

this is because the law is selectively enforced. There is one law for the rich and one law for the poor. The poor are more likely to be prosecuted for their crimes, while those of higher social classes are less likely to be prosecuted for crime and if they are they are treated more leniently.​

How do laws keep capitalism stable?

Health and safety laws keep the working class able to work. Seeing crime as a working class problem diverts it away from capitalism. Seeing criminals as disturbed also disguises the true nature of crime.​

What are the evaluation points for marxism?

• Very deterministic, not all working class commit crime.​

• Switzerland and Japan are capitalist but have low crime rates.​

• Prosecutions against companies and the ruling class do happen.​

• Left Realists say most working class crime is committed against working class people not the state.

When was the Dhaka, Bangladesh factory incident?

24th April 2013

What was the death toll of the Dhaka factory incident?

• Death toll of 1129​

What happened days before the Dhaka factory incident?

• Cracks appeared the day before but workers were ordered to work​​

What changed as a result of the Dhaka factory incident?

• 2 years later only 8 out of the 3425 factories inspected had remedied building violations adequately.

When was the corporate manslaughter act brought in?

6th April 2008.​

Are there any obligations in the corporate mansluaghter Act?

health and safety legislation. ​

What do companies need to do to comply with the corporate mansluaghter Act?

Risk assessments, H&S policies & procedures.​

Will the corporate mansluaghter Act be retrospective?

No.

What penalties will a company or organisation face under the corporate manslughter act?

Fines – up to 10% of annual turnover. ​

What are the evaluation points for neo-marxists?

• Ignores relationship between non class inequalities e.g. ethnicity and gender.​

• Too deterministic – not all poor people commit crime.​

• Not all capitalist societies have high crime rates – e.g. Switzerland​

• Justice system does sometimes act against capitalist class.​

What is different about neo-marxists?

recognise issues with marxists, combine with soe interactionist approaches

What three areas do neo marxists agree with marxists on?

1. Society is based on exploitation​

2. Law is made and enforced for the benefit of the ruling class.​

3. Getting rid of capitalism would greatly reduce if not eradicate crime. ​

What do Taylor, Walton and Young say about marxism?

1973: ​Marxism is too determinist

ow does, taylor, Walton and Youngs labelling theory (in six steps) work?

1. The wider origins of the deviant act.

2. The immediate origins of the deviant act.

3. The act itself.

4. The immediate origins of social reaction.

5. The wider origins of social reaction.

6. The effects of labelling.

What is Stuart Hall’s ‘policin the crisis’ like in relation to TWY?

1. The 1970’s was a period of considerable social crisis in Britain, the result of an international downturn in capitalist economies.

2. This turmoil was shown in a number of inner-city riots, conflict in Northern Ireland and a high level of strikes. The government was searching for a group that could be scapegoated, to draw attention onto them and away from the crisis.

3. Mugging – which according to the police was more likely to be carried out by those from African-Caribbean backgrounds.

4. Media outrage at the extent of muggings, linked to racism amongst the Metropolitan police.

5. The need to find scapegoats and the ease with which young men from African-Caribbean's backgrounds could be blamed.

6. A sense of injustice amongst ethnic minorities against the police led to much hostility between them and further arrests.

How do TWY argue that some crimes are political moves?

• They stress that crimes are often deliberate and conscious acts with political motives.​

• Thus the Women’s Liberation Movement, the Black Power Movement and Gay Liberation Front are examples of people fighting back against the injustice of capitalism.​

• Thus vandalism is a symbolic attack on society’s obsession with property (Banksy)

What are the ley points of TWY’s theory?

• A fully social theory of crime.​

• Combination of traditional Marxism and interactionism / Labelling ​

• Crime is Voluntarist: ​

• Free will​

• Conscious choice and a meaningful action​

• Politically motivated​

• Not passive puppet

What does Hirst say about neo-marxism?

1975 – Critical Criminology strayed too far from traditional Marxism

What does Rock say about neo-marxism?

1988 – Romantic view of criminals- Robin Hoods!

What types of crime can marxists not explain?

Doesn’t explain all types of crime such as domestic violence or child abuse.

What is wrong with the application of marxist theory?

Difficult to apply the theory so more of a model then an approach

What does cohen say about marxist subcultures?

Skinheads asserting working class masculinity.

What does hebdidge say about marxist subcultures?

• Resist through ritual.​

• However sub cultures quickly become commercialised.

What does the centre of contemporary cultural studies say about marxist subcultures?

Youth sub cultures develop as a form of resistance to capitalist inequality.

WHat do MArxist subcultures underestimate?

Underestimate the extent to which youth sub cultures are influenced by consumerism.

What issue does cohen raise in regards to marxist subcultures?

Methodological problems – Biased view points to prove the point.

What does Blackman (1995) say is an issue with marxist subcultures?

ignores subcultural variations based on sexual identity, age and locality.

What issue does Blackmann (1995) raise about marxist subcultures?

Youth sub cultures are a creation of the media not capitalism. ​