Topic 3 - Marxist Theories
- Created by: 09eatonb
- Created on: 28-12-15 19:25
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Traditional / Classical Marxists -
- See society as divided into 2 classes:
- the ruling capitalist class (who own the means of production) and
- the working-class (whose labour capitalists exploit for profit)
- Structural theory:
- society is a structure whose capital economic base determines the superstructure i.e all the institutions, including the state, the law and the criminal justice system
- their functions is to serve ruling-class interests
- This capitalist structure explains crime
- Criminogenic Capitalism = Crime is inevitable in capitalism, because capitalism is criminogenic - its very nature causes crime
- Working-class crime = capitalism is based on the exploitation of the working class for profit. as a result:
- Poverty may mean crime is the only way to survive
- Crime may be the only way of obtaining consumer goods encouraged by capitalist advertising, resulting in utilitarian crimes, e.g theft
- Alienation may cause frustration and aggression, leading to non-utilitarian crimes, e.g violence and vandalism
- Ruling-class crime =
- Capitalism is a win-at-all-costs system of competition, while the profit motive encourages greed. This encourages capitalists to commit corperate crimes, e.g tax evasion, breaking health and safety laws
- GORDON (1976) - crime is a rational reponse to capitalism and hus is found in all classes
- Working-class crime = capitalism is based on the exploitation of the working class for profit. as a result:
- The State and law making -
- law making and enforcement = serving the interests of the capitalist class.
- CHAMBLISS (1975) = laws to protect private property are the basis of the capitalist economy
- The ruling class also have the power to prevent the introduction of laws harmful to their interests. few laws challenge the unequal…
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