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Marxist Theories of Crime - Coggle Diagram
Marxist Theories of Crime
The Basics
The superstructure maintains the economic base through the ideological state apparatus. It's function is to serve ruling-class interests and maintain the capitalist economy
The power inequalities and injustices in the structure of capitalist society generates crime
All classes commit crime but the crimes of the elite do more harm than the crimes of the working class. They are also more likely to get away with it.
The Bourgeoisie have economic power so they are able to control the criminal justice system – they defined their own harmful acts as legal and are less likely to be prosecuted for the crimes they commit.
Selective Law Enforcement
Chambliss (1976):
In Seattle, members of ruling class were part of a crime syndicate, used their wealth and influence to bribe officials and avoid punishment. The CJS was not there to catch them, laws were applied selectively to control the working class while protecting the rich
There is a selective law enforcement where CJS disproportionately focuses on the actions of the proletariat whilst the bourgeoisie’s acts are ignored.
Police ignore the crimes committed by the powerful.
Disproportionately high rate of prosecutions for the kinds of street crimes that poor people typically commit e.g. burglary. Whereas the types of crimes committed by the higher classes e.g. health and safety violations, serious tax evasions, are more forgiven by the CJS
This is despite the fact that
the economic cost of white collar crime outpaces the economic cost of street crime by 20:1
Reiman: "the Rich Get Richer and the Poor get Prison"
The more likely a crime is to be committed by members of the ruling class, the less likely it is to be treated as a criminal offence
Graham (1976):
During "war on drugs" in US, politicians agreed not to greatly restrict amphetamine production or distribution because most of it was made and sold by large pharmaceutical companies rather than "common criminals".
There was only a "war" on drugs that were mainly used by w/c people and didn't make a profit for the bourgeoisie.
Criminogenic Capitalism
Crime is inevitable in capitalism because it is criminogenic- it's very nature breeds crime. It is based on the exploitation of the w/c for profit despite the human cost, thus it is particularly damaging to the w/c which can lead to crime:
Poverty may mean that crime is the only way that w/c people can survive e.g. utilitarian crimes such as theft may be the only way to stay afloat or obtain the consumer goods that are encouraged by capitalist advertising
Alienation and a lack of control as a result of capitalism may lead to frustration and aggression, resulting in non-utilitarian crimes like violence or vandalism
Gordon (1976):
Capitalism is a "dog eat dog" system of ruthless competition among capitalists. The motive of profit and the need to win at all costs encourages a mentality of greed and self-enrichment. This motivates capitalists to commit white collar and corporate crimes such as tax evasion, breaching of health and safety laws etc for profit.
Crime is therefore a
rational response
to the capitalist system. It is
found in all social classes
despite official statistics suggesting it is a w/c phenomenon.
Evaluation
: Existence of crime in non-capitalist, even communist societies e.g. 20th century Soviet Union suggests capitalism is not criminogenic
Ideological Functions of Crime and Law
Maintaining False Class Consciousness
By giving capitalism a
caring face
, these laws create a false class consciousness as workers accept capitalist rule and do not realise they are being exploited,
preventing revolution
.
Carson (1971):
In a sample of 200 firms, all had broken health and safety laws a least once but only 1.5% resulted in prosecution
Snider (1993)
: such laws were not enforced strongly anyway; laws appearing to be in the interests of the w/c were more "for show" while those that protected the ruling class were rigorously enforced.
Pearce (1976)
: Laws are passed that appear to be for the benefit of the w/c but are actually serving the ruling class e.g. health and safety laws in the workplace ensures workers are fit to work and make profit for the ruling class
Evaluation
Property laws also protect everyone, not just ruling class e.g. most in UK own some property so laws on theft not only in favour of bourgeoisie
State has created laws that benefit workers e.g. laws governing minimum wage and Trade Union rights clearly benefit proletariat.
In modern democracies law-makers are democratically elected and include range of political positions and social backgrounds- not just bourgeoisie ideals
Crimes are portrayed as a w/c phenomenon, which divides the w/c by encouraging workers to blame criminals rather than capitalism
The media contributes by portraying criminals as disturbed individuals which conceals the fact that is is capitalism's nature which makes people commit crime
Selective Law Making
Box: Ideological Law making
: The law is written by the bourgeoisie and therefore only reflects their interests. Since they are in control of the CJS, they have the power to prevent the introduction of laws that would threaten their interests or income
Snider (1993)
: the capitalist state is reluctant to pass laws that regulate activities of businesses or threaten their profits
Chambliss
In East Africa, Britain's economic interests lay in the colonies' tea and coffee, requiring a lot of local labour. Since the local economy was not a money economy at the time, the British introduced a tax to force the African population to work for them. Non payment of the tax became a punishable criminal offence.
The law served the economic interests of the capitalist plantation owners and exploited the powerless workers. Similarly, the w/c and ethnic minorities are criminalised by the CJS through selective law making.
Laws protecting private property are a foundation of capitalist society. Most laws in the US and UK are property laws, protecting and favouring the ruling class.
Evaluations
Neo-Marxists:
w/c are not passive or forced into committing crime as a result of economic circumstances- it is a rational choice.
Postmodernists
: Marxists are reductionists, reduce everything to economics. Society is too complex and fragmented- there are many influences that affect behaviour other than capitalism/ class. Wealth no longer only source of power and class is not most important identity.
Realists
: Marxists present criminals as the real victims due to capitalism, ignoring actual victims. They are only interested in victims of the crimes of the rich, ignores w/c victims of fellow w/c people
Proletarian crimes are treated more seriously because they ARE more serious- not due to favouring ruling class. Crimes like robbery/ assault are more violent and personal, criminals are a greater risk to public safety.