Revision notes for A-level sociology, written with AQA sociology A level paper 2: crime and deviance with theory and methods (7192/3) in mind.
If you need to read over this in more depth then check out this long form version of the Marxist Theory of Crime here
Introduction/ The basics
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Traditional Marxist theories explain crime in relation to power inequalities created by the capitalist system
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The inequalities and injustices within Capitalism generate crime.
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Class based analysis – both classes commit crime, the crimes of the elite are more harmful
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The Bourgeoisie h- have economic power and because of this 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.
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Historical Period (for Marxist Criminology) The 1970s
Crimogenic Capitalism
- Crime is a consequence of the economic structure of capitalism
- Capitalism is harsh, exploitative and breeds inequality, materialism and selfishness, which combined make crime in Capitalist societies inevitable.
- See David Gordon’s work on the ‘Dog eat Dog’ society
The Elite Make the Law in Their Own Interests
- William Chambliss: At the heart of the capitalist system lies the protection of private property
- Laureen Snider – Many nation states are reluctant to pass laws which restrict the freedom of Transnational Corporations to make profit
- There is unequal access to the law – the more money you have, the better lawyer you can get
- Harmful and exploitative acts in capitalist systems are not formally labelled criminal if these harmful activities make a profit – e.g. Colonialism/ Numerous Wars/ Pollution.
All Classes Commit Crime and the Crimes of the Powerful are of particular interest to Marxist Criminologists
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White Collar Crime = Individual middle class/ elite crime within a company , Corporate = Institutional crime
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Typical e.g’s include various types of fraud and negligence regarded health and safety at work.
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The economic costs of Corporate Crime are greater than street crime (Laureen Snider/ Corporate Watch.
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High profile Corporate Crimes = Bernie Madhoff, the Enron $100bn fraud and the 20 000 dead people as a result of Union Carbide’s corporate negligence in Bhopal, India.
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Despite being more costly to society, the crimes of the elite tend to go unpunished – As research by Tombs and Whyte suggests
The ideological functions of selective law enforcement
According to Gordon ‘selective law enforcement’ benefits the Capitalist system in three major ways:
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we ignore the failings of the system that lead to the conditions of inequality which generate crime.
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The imprisonment of selected members of the lower classes neutralises opposition to the system.
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sweeps out of sight the ‘worst jetsam of Capitalist society’ such that we cannot see it.
Overall Evaluations of Marxist Theories of Crime
Postitive
- Dog eat Dog explains both WC and Elite crime
- TTIP is good supporting evidence for point 2not lone individuals
- Lots of case studies and stats support the view that Corporate Crimes are harmful – Bhopal!
- Tombs and Whyte’s research – strongly supports point 3
Negative (criticisms)
- X – Crime has been decreasing in the UK in the last 20 years, yet we’re increasingly ‘neoliberal’
- X – Crime existed before Capitalism and in Communist societies
- X – Consensus theories argue most people today have private property, so most people are protected by the law
- X – It’s unfair to compare corporate crime such as Fraud to street crime, the later has a more emotional toll.
- X – Some Corporate Crminals are punished (e.g. Madhoff)
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