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Crime and Deviance - Marxism and Neo Marxism (flashcards done) - Coggle…
Crime and Deviance - Marxism and Neo Marxism (flashcards done)
MARXISM
Overview
agree with labelling theorists that the law is enforced disproportionately against the W/C
Crime stats cannot be taken at face value
criticise labelling theorists for failing to examine wider structures of capitalism - law making, enforcement and offending
flows from their view of the nature of capitalist society.
the law and CJS is another tool used by the R/C to serve their interests and maintain a position of power
Criminogenic capitalism
criminogenic = it makes crime inevitable
class inequality
in a capitalist economic system is a major cause of crime
W/C feel alienated, socially excluded and experience poverty
critique
crime is found in all classes not just those who are exploited like the W/C - corporate crime and white collar crime.
GORDON (1976) x
crime is a
rational reaction
to the 4 focuses of capitalism
greed
profit
competition
materialism
capitalism is the cause, as it
amplifies the structural inequalities in society
between the U/C and the W/C
crime performed an
ideological function
by ignoring the structural inequalities, and placing the blame and responsibility on the deviant.
however
, ignores the
'dog-eat-dog'
nature of capitalism, where capitalism norms have instilled individualism and scarcity within the L/C
rather than acknowledge the part capitalism has had in crime and deviance, the R/C
dehumanise deviants
because of their actions through the legal system. As a result, it is used to
neutralise opposition to their ideology.
evaluation
assumes that those exploited by capitalism will turn to crime - social ties may prohibit this
ignores prosecution of corporate and white collar crime
assumes people absorb capitalist ideology
the state and law making
Selective law making
SNIDER x
the state is reluctant to pass laws, which regulate big businesses, and threaten profitability.
Sometimes states pass
symbolic laws
about Health and Safety to
appease public discontent
when unions make fuss - however, will try to weaken this law when possible
The state also offers
incentives for large corporations
- tax concessions, cheap loans, grants, building infrastructure to help capitalism. All of this cost a lot of money, and shows that they are more
invested in supporting capitalism, than protecting those exploited by capitalism.
1970s - Amphetamine
90% of the illegally used amphetamine was created legally by pharmaceutical companies, and they pressured the US gov to tackle street creates, so that they could take 100% of the profit from creating this legally, while the state looked as if it had done something to tackle it.
2010/11 - a number of MPs were prosecuted due to the Parliamentary expense scandal.
PEARCE (1976)
laws which are created to benefit workers - H&S - created a caring face for the state and capitalism.
Marxist vs Functionalists
F
- law reflects the will of the people
M
- law is a reflection of the will of the powerful
economics power guarantees political and social power, the rich can manipulate the rest of us to pass laws which benefit them -
'Set the agenda'
CHAMBLISS (1975) x
the capitalist system wishes to
protect private property
- as a result, property crime and violence are taken more seriously by the CJS
as a result, the higher classes are
less likely to be seen committing serious crime, and less likely to be prosecuted to the same extent.
selective law enforcement
SNIDER (1993) x
corporate and white collar crime
costs society more
than street crime - but they are
rarely prosecuted
and even
less likely to receive custodial sentences
ideological function - focuses on crime being a W/C phenomenon and misrepresents them
critique
GORDON (1976) x
prosecution of corporate crimes suggest that the CJS is fair
REIMAN AND LEIGHTON (2009) x
the US justice system is lenient with M/C offenders and biased against the poor.
EVALUATION
laws are created to benefit workers - smokescreen?
increase in the prosecution of corporate crime - however - Grenfell.
Ideological functions of crime and law
ALTHUSSER x
the law is an
Ideological State Apparatus
which makes sure it remains
normal
to have some that are obscenely wealthy and others that are obscenely poor
As a result, crime becomes un-natural as the W/C should remain poor
BOX x
what is defined as serious crime is
ideologically constructed
by the R/C
serious crime is considered to be
violence by the W/C and property crime
-
sever harm caused by govs and corporations
are not considered to be serious crime
because of this, laws which are believed to affect everyone equally are created are a
smokescreen
to imply that the law
benefits all and is impartially applied.
SAYER (2015)
rich largely shape the law so that they do not end up in prison
- protect loopholes so that corporations can avoid tax
REIMAN (2001) x
the more likely a crime is to be committed by a
higher class people the less likely it is to be treated as a criminal offence.
leads to the
disproportionately high rate of prosecution of 'street crimes'
- typically committed by W/C (burglary and assault)
however, crime committed by the higher classes - health and safety violations - are
more forgiven by the CJS
example - Nestle, baby milk formula
created a demand where there wasn't one before, so that they could sell formula which did not meet the health requirements in other more developed countries
done so that they could gain more profit - but the lower nutrients combined with the polluted water and extra dilution of the formula with water lead to many babies dying because of the formula
knew that this could happen - no formal criminal proceeding have occurred, only a boycott in the affected countries
GENERAL EVAULATION x
too deterministic
most W/C do not commit crime; not everyone is forced into crime due to circumstances beyond their control
facade of corporate crime being prosecuted
Grenfell - CEO resigned along with others after public backlash - however, there has not been any prosecution and the same cladding is still being used.
LEFT REALISTS - inter-class crime
ignore the fact that W/C criminals mainly commit crime against other W/C people.
not all capitalist societies lead to crime
Japan and Switzerland are highly capitalist but have low crime rates fie to the levels of welfare provision
ignore other inequalities in society such as
gender and ethnicity
NEO MARXISM
OVERVIEW
'New Marxism'
approach to crime is called 'The New Criminology' - blended Marxism and Labelling theories.
attempt to develop a
more sophisticated understanding
of crime than traditional Marxists
too deterministic, structural and ignores individual choice
TAYLOR, WALTON AND YOUNG (1973) x
disagree with trad Marxists - people do not commit crime as they have no choice, but instead it
is a deliberate choice and conscious act against capitalist society
crime is the W/C fighting back
emphasise that crime is
voluntary and conscious
choice by the individual -
political move; not passive puppets
Fully Social Theory of Deviance
- identified 6 aspects of crime that Marxists should also consider.
1. wider origins of the deviant act
2. immediate origins of the deviant act
3. the actual act
4. immediate origins of social reaction
5. wider origins of deviant reaction
6. labelling
evaulation/criticism
most of the research was focused on male criminality -
feminists
Rock (1988) - romanticised crime
- 'robin hood' - however, much of crime is on the W/C not the rich.
Burke (2005)
- too general to explain crime, and too idealistic to be used to tackle crime
left realists
- ignores W/C victims
Hirst (1975)
- regards Neo-Marxism as having strayed too far from traditional Marxism to be considered linked
HALL ET AL (1978) x
applied 'new criminology' to his study of black crime in the 1970s (street mugging)
during the 1970s, crime was used to
re-assert ruling class hegemony (dominant ideology)
- under threat due to economic and political crisis.
the government used black muggers as a
scapegoat and distraction from the crises
- media created a moral panic by emphassing the danger of black muggers
led to a separation of the W/C based on racial grounds. This prevented opposition from the W/C, and reasserted the need for the gov to use force against the 'folk devils'
evaluation
links to and supports the need for the new criminology
examined both structural and social action reactions of criminality
critics have suggested that they suggest that black crime didn't rise, but that reactions of police caused crime
can only partially explain why minority groups are over-represented in crime statistics
GILROY - myth of black criminality x
Asian, African and Caribbean communities in the UK carried the
'scars of imperialist violence'
- led to
development of techniques to avoid exploitation.
As a result, the group demonstrated
political resistance to exploitation in the UK
- march, demonstrations, rallies, to fight against racism and oppression.
military policing and 'suss laws'
were a result of negative stereotypes against minority ethnic groups - led to over-representation asa the police focused on the crime of ethnic minorities.
Black people are not criminal, they just respond to negative stereotypes
- viewed with suspicion; ill-informed right wing propaganda; institutional racism in the police.
evaluation
still influential in explaining tensions between police and ethnic minority communities in the 21st C
crime is not politically motivated as mostly based in local communities and against others from similar backgrounds
Neo-Marxism vs. Marxism x
agrees
capitalism is based on
exploitation and class conflict
- understanding this is the key to understanding crime
state
creates and enforces laws
for the benefit of the ruling class
capitalism should be replaced with a
classless society
where crime would be greatly reduced.
disagrees
Marxism is seen as
too deterministic
- Neo Marxism sees crime as a deliberate
choice and voluntary