Criminogenic capitalism - Poverty sometimes means that crime is the only way for w/c to survive; people often commit utilitarian crime because of the material goods shown in advertising. Alienation & a lack of control in lives leads to violence, frustration and non-utilitarian crime like vandalism or assult.
Capitalist businesses commit crime because it is a 'dog eat dog' system of ruthless competition and they have to maximisise profit; they may take part in state crimes, corporate crime or white-collar crime, such as; tax evasion or breaches in health & safety laws.
Gordon; crime is a rational response to capitalism and is therefore found in all social classes.
The state and law making - Marxists see the law as only serving the interests of the capitalist class; it is ideological. Chambliss; laws protect private property and when Britain introduced laws to African colonies, it was to make them work in the plantation and pay tax for tea/coffee; if they didn't pay it was seen as a criminal offence.
Snider; The capitalist state is reluctant to pass laws that regulate the activities of business, it was threaten profitability.
Selective enforcement - Powerless groups (w/c, MEG's) are criminalised but the police & courts ignore the crimes of the powerful.
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Ideological functions of law
Pierce; Although health and safety laws appear to benefit the w/c they actually keep them at work for the ruling class, giving capitalism a 'friendly face', and perpetuating false class conscienceness. E.g, the corporate homocide law was passed in 2007 but has only been used once despite there being a large number of workplace deaths.
The w/c will blame their own people for crime despite the law being enforced selectively. The media portrays w/c criminals as disturbed, concealing capitalisms role in criminality.
Marxism is useful because it explains the link between crime & a capitalist society, whilst showing how the interests of the ruling class lead to law making/enforcement.
Criticisms; Ignores the relationship between non-class factors of crime, e.g, gender.
Too deterministic as it overpredicts w/c crime, not all commit despite the pressures of poverty.
Not all capitalist societies have high crime rates, e.g, Japan & Swizterland has 1/5 of the US crime rate.
Criminal justice system can sometimes act against the interests of the ruling class; prosecutions for corporate crime do occur.
Left Realism; They ignore intra-class crime such as mugging where both victims are w/c.
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Neo Marxism
Critical crimonology - Taylor et al; capitalist society means there will be class conflict and extreme inequalities of wealth & power.
The state enforces laws to criminalise the w/c & help the ruling class, therefore capitalism should be replaced by a classless society to decrease or get rid of crime.
Anti deterministic - Rejects Marxism & agrues that crime is voluntary & may be a political act that redistributes the wealth from rich to poor, they are striving to change society.
Walton & Young; Critical criminality is useful because it's calling for a greater tolerance of diversity in behaviour, instead of 'correctional bias' that assumes sociology is about finding ways to tackle deviant behaviour; instead tries to understand the behaviour.
Criticisms - Feminists; They are gender blind. focusing on male criminality at the expense of ignoring female criminality.
Left Realists; Romantisises w/c criminals as 'Robin Hoods' who are fighting capitalism by redistributing wealth, when in reality most of these criminals prey on the poor. They do not take crime seriously & ignore its effects on w/c victims.
Burke; It is too general to explain crime & too idealistic to be useful in tackling crime.
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