SOCIOLOGY TOPIC 3

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3 main elements of crime for marxists?
1.Criminogenic capitalism 2.The state and law making 3.Ideological functions of crime and law
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3 reasons crime may rise within the w/c?
1.Poverty may mean crime is only way w/c can survive 2.Crime may be only way the can obtain consumer goods encourages by advertising, utilitarian crimes 3.Alienation/lack of control over their lives=frustration/aggression = non utilitarian crimes
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Gordon on crime?
Rational response to capitalism. Found in all classes even though off stats appear largely working class
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State & law making?
See it as only serving interests of capitalist class
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Chambliss on law making?
Laws to protect private property are corner stone of capitalist economy. Case of introduction of english law to East African colonies.Tax payable in cash, non payment = punishment. Cash to pay earnt through work
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Laureen Snider on state & law making?
Ruling class have power to prevent laws that would threaten their interests = distribution of wealth. Argues capitalist state is reluctant to pass laws that regulate activities of businesses
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Selective enforcement?
Though all classes commit, when it comes to application of law by justice system there's selective enforcement. Powerless groups criminalised & police ignore crimes by powerful
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Reimans book Rich Get Richer Poor Get Prison?
Shows more likely a crime is committed by u/c less likely to be treated as criminal offence. Disproportionately high rate of prosecutions for street crimes that poor commit
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Ideological functions of crime & law?
Laws occasionally passed that appear to benefit w/c = health & safety laws
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Pearce on ideological functions of crime & law?
Such laws benefit u/c too = keeping workers fit for work. Giving capitalism a 'caring' face, creates false consciousness among workers
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Evaluation of marxism?
Shows link between law making & enforcement, putting into a wider structural context insights of labelling theory regarding selective enforcement of the law
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3 criticisms of marxism?
1.Ignores relationship between crime & important non class inequalities like ethnicity & gender 2.Too deterministic & over predicts amount of w/c crime 3.Not all capitalist societies have high crime rates EG Japan/Switzerland lower than USA
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2 more criticisms of marxism?
1.Criminal justice system sometimes act in interest of capitalists. EG Prosecutions for corporate crime do occur 2.Left realists say they focus on crimes of powerful & ignore intra-class crimes like burglary & mugging
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3 Neo marxists?
1.Taylor 2.Walton 3.Young
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Taylor et al agree with traditional marxists that?
1.Capitalist society's based on exploitation & class conflict 2.State makes & enforces laws in interests of capitalist class & criminalises w/c 3.Should be replaced by classless society to reduce extent of crime
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Anti-determinism?
Argue marxism is deterministic. Reject this along with claims of anomie, subcultures, labelling, biological & psychological factors
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Voluntaristic view?
Taylor et all - see crime as meaningful action & conscious choice by actor. Often has political motive = redistribute wealth from rich to poor. Criminals arent passive puppets whose behaviour is shaped by capitalism. Deliberately striving for change
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Fully social theory of deviance sources?
1.Traditional marxist ideas of unequal distribution of wealth/who has power to make & enforce law 2.Interactionism/labelling theory of meaning of deviant act for actor, societal reactions to it & effects on individual
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6 aspects that unite the theory?
1.Wider origins of deviant act 2.Immediate origins of deviant act 3.Act itself 4.Immediate origins of social reaction 5.Wider origins of social reaction 6.Effects of labelling
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Feminists' criticisms of critical criminology?
Being 'gender blind', focusing excessively on male criminality & at expense of female criminality
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2 left realists criticisms?
1.Romanticises w/c criminals as robin hoods. Reality they prey on poor 2.Taylor et al dont take such crime seriously & ignore effects on w/c victims
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Burkes criticism of critical criminology?
Too general to explain crime & too idealistic to be useful in tackling crime. However Stuart Hall et al have used this approach in moral panic over mugging
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

1.Poverty may mean crime is only way w/c can survive 2.Crime may be only way the can obtain consumer goods encourages by advertising, utilitarian crimes 3.Alienation/lack of control over their lives=frustration/aggression = non utilitarian crimes

Back

3 reasons crime may rise within the w/c?

Card 3

Front

Rational response to capitalism. Found in all classes even though off stats appear largely working class

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

See it as only serving interests of capitalist class

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

Laws to protect private property are corner stone of capitalist economy. Case of introduction of english law to East African colonies.Tax payable in cash, non payment = punishment. Cash to pay earnt through work

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
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