Marxist and Neo-Marxist Perspective on Crime and Deviance

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  • Created by: Om4r
  • Created on: 10-06-19 20:50
What group do Marxists believe the law is enforced selectively against?
The working class
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What do Marxists believe about Official Statistics?
They shouldn't be taken at face value due to selective law enforcement
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What structure do Marxists believe explains crime?
The structure of capitalist society
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What are the 3 main elements of Marxist perspective on crime?
Criminogenic capitalism, Selective Law enforcement and The State making laws
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What does capitalism create that causes crime?
Poverty, meaning that crime is the only way the WC can survive
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What may encourage the WC to deviate?
Consumer goods encouraged by capitalist advertising resulting in theft
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What do Marxists believe causes Non-utilitarian Crime?
Alienation and lack of control over their lives
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What does Alienation and a lack of control over their lives lead to?
Frustration and aggression
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What do Marxists believe encourages capitalists to commit white collar and corporate crime?
The need to win at all costs or go out of business along with the desire of self-enrichment
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What does Gordon believe about crime?
Its a rational response to capitalism and is therefore found in every class
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What do Marxists believe about law making and enforcement?
As only serving the interests of the capitalist class
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What group oppose to this Marxist belief and what do they believe?
Functionalists who see the law as reflecting a value consensus
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What does Chambliss believe about laws which protect private property?
They're the foundation of the capitalist economy favouring the bourgeoisie
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What does Snider believe the capitalist state is reluctant to do?
Reluctant to pass laws that regulate the activities of businesses (profit before people)
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What do Marxists believe about selective law enforcement?
Although all classes commit crime, law is selectively applied
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Which groups are more likely to have the law enforced on them and which groups are less likely?
Powerless groups e.g. WC and Ethnic minorities are criminalised and courts tend to ignore crimes of the powerful
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What is the Ideological function of crime and law?
Laws that appear to benefit the WC often benefit the ruling class too
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What is an example of an Ideological function of crime and law?
Laws about health and safety are supposedly to benefit workers but in fact it's to keep workers in good shape so they can continue to serve the bourgeoisie
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How does Selective law enforcement and Ideological functions of crime link?
Laws selectively enforced so the working class are over-represented in crime which divides the WC by encouraging workers to blame the criminals rather than capitalism
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What is the Marxist perspective on crime criticised for ignoring?
The relationship between crime and important non-class inequalities such as gender
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Why is this Marxist perspective criticised for being too deterministic?
Because it over-predicts the amount of crime in the working class, not all poor people commit crime despite pressures of poverty
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What do Left realists criticise Marxists for in terms of crime?
They largely focus on crimes of the powerful ignoring intra-class crime
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What do Neo-Marxists agree with Traditional Marxists on?
Capitalist society based on exploitation and inequalities, laws are made and enforced in favour of capitalism and capitalism should be replaced with a classless society
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What are the 2 things that Neo-marxists believe about crime that Traditional Marxists don't?
Anti-determinism and the Fully social Theory
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In what way is the Neo-marxist view anti-deterministic?
They believe that proletarians (WC) are not puppets of capitalism but agents of change and believe that individuals should not be labelled as deviant just because they're different,they should be free to live their lives as they wish
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What is the Fully Social Theory?
A comprehensive understanding of crime and deviance that would help to change society for the better
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According to the Fully social Theory, what should be considered when dealing with Crime and Deviance?
The wider origins of the deviant act, immediate origins, the act itself and its meaning for the actor, immediate and wider origins of social reaction and effects of labelling on deviants future
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What are the wider origins of the deviant act?
The unequal distribution of wealth and power in capitalist society
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What are the immediate origins of the deviant act?
The particular context in which the individual decides to commit the act
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What is an example of the act itself and its meaning for the actor?
For example was it a form of rebellion against capitalism e.g. robbing a bank
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What are the immediate origins of societal reaction?
The reactions of those around the deviant e.g. police and community to discovering the deviance
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What are the wider origins of social reaction in the structure of capitalist society?
Who has the power to define the actions as deviant and why some acts are treated more harshly than others
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Why does the effect of labelling on the deviants future actions need to be considered?
For example why does labelling lead to deviance amplification in some cases but not others
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Why do Feminists criticise Neomarxism?
For being gender blind and focusing excessively on male criminality and at the expense of female criminality
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Why do left realists criticise Neo-marxists?
For romanticising working class criminals as 'Robin Hoods' who are fighting against capitalism by re-distributing wealth, however in reality these criminals simply prey on the poor
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

What do Marxists believe about Official Statistics?

Back

They shouldn't be taken at face value due to selective law enforcement

Card 3

Front

What structure do Marxists believe explains crime?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What are the 3 main elements of Marxist perspective on crime?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

What does capitalism create that causes crime?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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