Traditional Marxism and the New Crimiology

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Traditional Marxist view of Crime (name the 3 elements)
Criminogenic capitalism, The state and law making /selective law enforcement, ideological functions of crime and law
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Criminogenic capitalism
Criminogenic capitalism - crime is built in and natural part of capitalist society because capitalist society emphasises economic self interest, greed and personal gain
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What is not seen as a priority in capitalism that reinforces crime?
Looking after others
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3 causes of Crime (likely 6 marker)
Poverty, advertising, Alienation
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Why is poverty a cause of crime?
Crime may be the only way to survive eg. theft
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Why is capitalist advertising a cause of Crime?
Crime may be the only way to obtain consumer goods that is advertised creating false needs.
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Why is Alienation a cause of crime?
W/C have a lack of control over their lives may lead to frustration and aggression so leads to non-utilitarian crimes like violence and vandalism (lack of creativity, powerless in work)
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Why does capitalism cause crime among the M/C ?
Encourages completion and a motive for profit encourages greed
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What types of crime does this encourage form the R/C (although this is under-policed making the W/C look like the criminal ones)?
White Collar and corporate Crime
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However, why are Marxists too deterministic?
Over predicts W/C crimes and not all W/C commit crime
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Also, Not all capitalist societies have high crime rates, Name 2 countries that have a low homocide rate
Japan and Switzerland, 1/5 of that in USA
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Whats the title of the 2nd study of marxists that Marxists see law making and law enforcement as only serving the needs of the capitalist class?
The state and law making
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What does Chambliss(1975) argue about law making ?
laws are the instruments of the R/C to protect private property and reflect their values
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Who argues that the definition of serious crime is ideologically constructed?
Box (1998)
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What does Box claim 'serious crime' is identified as ?
Crimes against capitalism like property crime and violence that is committed by the W/C
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What types of crimes does he identify that are not identified as serious crimes against capitalism?
Major harm caused by corporations such as environmental damage, violating human rights, genecide
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What do the R/C have that prevents the introduction of laws that threaten their interests ?
the power
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What type of laws is there few of (equality)?
that challenge the unequal distribution of wealth
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What does Snider (1993) argue about the capitalist state and laws?
That it is reluctant to pass laws that regulate the activities of business or threaten their profitability
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How would functionalists criticise marxist view of state and law making?
Would claim the law is a product of the consensus in society
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What do functionalist mean by this ?
That the Law reflects the decision made in the interests of everyone in society
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Selective enforcement
....
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Who argues that the rich get rich and the poor get prison ?
Chambliss (1975)
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Why does being of a higher class effect an individual if they commit a crime (Chambliss )
the more likely a crime is committed by higher class people the less likely it is to be treated as a criminal offence
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Thus, what type of crime gets over-representsed and what type of crime gets under-represented?
street Crime, corporate Crime like tax evasion
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Ideological functions of crime
The Law, crime and criminals perform an ideological function for capitialism
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What laws are occasionally passed that appear to what ?
benefit the w/c
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Who argues these laws often also benefit the R/C too ?
Pearce (1976)
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Provide an example (clue:health)
health and safety laws actually keep workers fit for capitalism
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Thus, what do these laws maintain ?
A false class consciousness amongst workers
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What does Jenabi (2014) argue about Laws that may not be in the interests of R/C?
They are not rigorously enforced
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Provide an example ?
Despite a Law being passed against corporate homicide (company's liability for death), in 2007 only 1 company has been successfully prosecuted
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However, the criminal justice system does sometimes act against the interprets of capitalist class, provide an example ?
Prosecutions for corporate crime do occur
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Neo-Marxists Theory of Crime
Don't agree with revolution
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Things Neo marxists agree with traditional marxists about
They do take many ideas from traditional marxism
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What do they agree in is the diving force behind crime ?
Capitalist society being based in exploitation and inequality
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What do they agree on including law making?
service the interest of the capitalist class and Criminalises the W/C
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What do agree would greatly reduce crime
a classless society (but not through a revolution)
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Things Neo-marxists crisis marxists for
....
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Why do they believe marxists are too detministic ?
it assumes W/C have no choice to commit crime
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What do they decide criminals have that criticises marxists
Are not passive puppets
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What do Neo-marxists often suggest crime has ?
A political motive like riots
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Thus what are their actions?
deliberate because they are striving for change
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Who proposes the theory of the 6 important aspects of crime?
Taylor et al
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What was Taylor et al theory of crime overall aim?
A theory that fully explains crime and deviance
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Who provided the application for this theory?
Hall et al (1978)
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Whats the first ascpect?
Labelling
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What is Hall et al's explanation to do with labeling and turning to crime?
Marginalized groups like ethnic minorities are unemployed and thus driven to petty crime
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What's the 2nd aspect?
Wider origins of the deviant act
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What is Hall et al's explanation for the wider origins of the deviant act (economic crisis)?
In periods of ecumenic crisis like the 1970s individuals turn to crimes like strikes because of unemployment and inflation
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What's the 3rd aspect?
the actual act
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What's hall et all explanation for the actual act (ethnic minorities and police)?
according to the police, mugging was more likely to be carried out by those of Afro-Caribbean backgrounds
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What's the 4th aspect?
the wider origins of social reaction
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What is Hall et als explanation of this?
you have to fid scapegoats and in this case, it was from young Afro-Caribbean men
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what are the 5th Aspects?
immediate origins of social reaction
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What is Hall et als explanation of this?
media outrage at the extent of the muggings linked to racism among the Metropolitan polcie
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Whats the 6th aspect?
Immediate origins of the deviant act
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Who did Hall et all apply this to?
Turned into a number of inner-city riots and strikes so the government were looking for scapegoats to turn the attention away from them leading to fragmentation of the W/C emerging
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Neo Marxists -Black Crime
.....
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What is the title of Hall's et al (1978) study?
The Crisis of hegemony and the creation of the 'black mugger'
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What 2 types of crisis were there in the '70s according to Hall that threatened the domain of the R/C ideology?
Economic and poltical
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What was there between the African-Caribbean community and the police?
unrest
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What did the media create a moral panic about?
mugging(just a new word for a street crime )
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What does Hall note about this street crime?
There was no significant increase in muggings
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Who did the media print stories about in relation to these muggings?
Black youths
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Who fully embraced these ideas that meant the 'black mugger' was born?
Police and politicians
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What did the Black Mugger become to embody?
all the problems in society at that time - it became a scapegoat
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What did Hall argue it distracted society from?
The real problems in society like inflation, huge national debt, rising unemployment, and their true cause
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What did Hall argue this caused?
a fragmented W/C between the blacks and whites
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What did this suppress?
opposition to capitalism
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However, Why do left realists believe that a moral panic was justified?
Because Hall ignores the effects of Crime on victims
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Who argues that Hall contracts himself by claiming black street crime was rising but then that it was rising due to unemployment?
Downes and Rock (2011)
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Who conducted the theory of the Myth of Black Criminality?
Gilroy (1982)
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What did he claim the motivation behind crime committed by black people was?
Political action
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What were they showing resistance to through crime (racism)?
inequality and oppressors in the form of police racism
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Does he believe there was greater criminality among Black People?
No
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Where does he believe this myth of greater criminality among black people came from?
The myth created by negative stereotyping from police and the media
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What does he argue African-Caribbean males are labeled as?
potential muggers
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What does he argue Asians are labeled as?
Illegal immigrants
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What does he argue about crime stats?
They over-represent black and Asian people because they are targeted more
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Provide an example of the myth of Black Criminality
London riots (2011)
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What were these 'riots'?
political uprisings against white domination
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However, what is most crime suggesting t is not a reaction against racism?
inter-ethnic
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or an expression of .....
Anti-colonial struggle
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What does Young argue about
Gilroy?
He over romanticizes street crime as a revolutionary act
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Criminogenic capitalism

Back

Criminogenic capitalism - crime is built in and natural part of capitalist society because capitalist society emphasises economic self interest, greed and personal gain

Card 3

Front

What is not seen as a priority in capitalism that reinforces crime?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

3 causes of Crime (likely 6 marker)

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

Why is poverty a cause of crime?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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