The New Criminology

New Criminology –

· Taylor, Walton and Young (1973):

o Argue that existing theories aren’t complete explanations of criminal behaviour

o Capitalism creates inequalities which cause crime

o Crime is a conscious decision taken by the individual

o For crime to be understood, three main aspects have to be examined:

§ The symbolic meaning of the crime; Taylor Walton and Young argue that crimes are politically motivated against capitalism. For example, vandals are literally ‘kicking back’ at capitalism, and drug addicts are rejecting the commodification and consumerism of capitalist society. These criminal acts are committed to create social change

§ The societal reaction to the crime; Societal reactions allow the sociologist to examine power relationships, and establish which groups have more power over others. For example, police targeting black male offenders suggests that police have more power over…