Marxist Theories Mindmap Relating to Crime and Deviance
Notes on Marxist Theories on crime and deviance.
- Created by: Charlotte Johnston
- Created on: 07-01-13 12:25
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- Marxist Theories
- Traditional Marxism
- Sees society split up into two classes
- Bourgeoisie- own the means of production.
- Proletariat- the working class, who serve the needs of the bourgeoisie
- It is a structural theory- it sees society as a structure which is determined on the economic base
- See capitalist system as criminogenic. Crime is inevitable.
- Because working class are exploited, it may give rise to crime because...
- Working class may be in poverty, so crime is the only way they can survive
- The working class' lives may be controlled so they may become aggressive.
- Crime may be the only way that the working class can gain the goods advertised.
- Capitalism encourage greed, so corporate crime happens.
- Because working class are exploited, it may give rise to crime because...
- Believe laws are made to serve the interests of the ruling class.
- Ruling class have the power to prevent laws being made that do not benefit them.
- Believe selective enforcement happens when prosecuting crime.
- Little corporate crime is prosecuted.
- Police are happy to prosecute working class (less powerful)
- Little corporate crime is prosecuted.
- Criticisms
- Ignores relationship between crime and non-class inequalities
- Over exaggerates working class crime- too deterministic- not all people who suffer from poverty commit crime
- Corporate crime does get prosecuted, it can just be hard to discover.
- Sees society split up into two classes
- Neo-Marxism
- Influenced by traditional marxism ideas but combine these ideas with different approaches.
- Agree with Marxists that sociey is a capitalist one based on exploitation and class conflict.
- Agree with Marxists that laws made serve the interests of the ruling class
- Society should be replaced with a classless society.
- However, they think that the Traditional Marxist view is too deterministic as it sees workers commiting crime through economic necessity.
- Also reject the wiew that anomie, subcultures, labelling or phychological or biological factors cause crime.
- Balieve crime is caused because of an individuals free will and choice to offend.
- Believe crime is done to distribute wealth from the rich to the poor.
- Do not believe that individuals commit crime because of the way their behaviour is shaped by society, they believe they commit crime to change society.
- Believe crime is done to distribute wealth from the rich to the poor.
- Created a Fully Social Theory of Deviance- this is six aspects that need to be united to help explain a deviant/criminal act.
- Criticisms
- Left Realists say that they make criminals out to be 'Robin Hoods' which is not the case as many criminals prey on the poor.
- Burke belives this view is far too general to explain crime, and far too idealistic to use to tackle crime.
- Influenced by traditional marxism ideas but combine these ideas with different approaches.
- Traditional Marxism
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