Marxism and crime

Question 1

What are the 4 factors that make up Marxist theory on crime and deviance?

Answer 1

1. Capitalism is criminogenic.
2. All classes commit crime.
3. Law is made by the capitalist elite.
4. State practices Selective Law Enforcement.

Question 2

Define criminogenic

Answer 2

Crime caused by capitalism as we outgrow system.

Question 3

What does David Gordon say about capitalist societies?

Answer 3

‘dog eat dog societies’, each company and each individual encouraged to look out for own interests before interests of others/ environment.

Question 4

Why is there a pursuit of self-interest in capitalist societies?

Answer 4

competitive pressure to make money, profit, be successful, ensure survival.

Question 5

Link pursuit of self-interest to crime.

Answer 5

Breaking law insignificant to pressure to succeed.

Values of Capitalist system filter to rest of culture. E.g., Seeking personal gain without caring for victims.

Question 6

What does Merton and Nightingale say about desire to achieve goals?

Answer 6

desire to achieve goals outweigh pressure to obey law.

Add’s to strain between legitimate means and goal of material success- Merton’s strain theory.

Question 7

Who does Rothkopf say the superclass and lower class are?

Answer 7

Superclass run global corporations. 
Bottom is lower class- slum dwellers, refugees.

Question 8

How does Chambliss justify capitalism and inequalities in crime?

Answer 8

economic crime represents rational responses to competitiveness and inequality of life in capitalist societies (drug dealers).

Question 9

Describe a study that shows proof of capitalism, inequality and crime being justified.

Answer 9

Parry’s visited egalitarian (all equal regardless of gender, race, religion, age) Island of Anuta, found extremely lowered crime rate in egalitarian societies.

Question 10

How does the law benefit the elite? Give an example using Manheim.

Answer 10

Superstructure serves ruling classes, state passes laws which support ruling class interests.

Manheim- history of criminal legislation in England etc shows excessive prominence given by law to protection of property.

Question 11

Elaborate on Manheim’s evidence that the law benefits the elite.

Answer 11

Property rights more securely established in law than collective rights of e.g., trade unions.

Property law benefits wealthy more than those with no property.

Question 12

What does Snider say about health and safety?

Answer 12

capitalist states reluctant to pass laws which regulate large capitalist concerns, might threaten profitability (health and safety, pollution).

Question 13

Give an example of how laws neglect health and safety of individuals.

Answer 13

Until 2007, no individual member of corporation could be prosecuted for damaging environment/ endangering worker through corporate practices.

Question 14

What do Marxists argue punishment for crime is based on? Give an example using Mark Thatcher.

Answer 14

punishment for crime depend on social class of perpetrator. Poorer criminals receive harsher punishments than rich criminals.

Mark Thatcher received suspended sentence for assisting mercenaries in military coup against democratically elected gov.

Question 15

What do Neo-Marxists say about working-class crime?

Answer 15

Concerned with passivity of the working class.

Working-class criminals choose to break law.

Sometimes positive political act against bourgeoisie.

Question 16

Give an example of how this positive political act of working-class committing crime is an act against the bourgeoisie.

Answer 16

E.g., Black panthers- radical black rights group in US, engaged in criminal activity to find political activism.

Question 17

How do Left Realists critique Marxists?

Answer 17

most victims of crime working-class. Marxists should produce solutions to the problem of crime than just understanding it.

Question 18

Hall applied a critical criminology approach to Black Muggers, 1970’s UK, what did he say?

Answer 18

unemployment disproportionate impact on Black pp, interested in crime than crap work.

Ruling class sought to divide working class to prevent anti-capitalist political activism: turning white workers against black workers did this.

Moral panic about street crime by black pp, lead to crackdown by police and increase crime fantasy.

Radical political change prevented.

Question 19

How do left realists critique Marxist view of crime?

Answer 19

Marxists should produce solutions to the problem of crime than just understanding it.

Question 20

Critique Hall’s application of theory about Black Mugger’s

Answer 20

No proof anyone set out to divide working-class to prevent revolution. 
Small proportion of crime considered politically motivated, rare motive of criminals.

Question 21

Define WCC

Answer 21

Crimes convicted by middle class (fraud, tax evasion).

Question 22

Why are white collar crimes likely to not get convicted and what happens to the victims?

Answer 22

Too many, hard to detect.

Victims often diffused (unaware, not face-to-face).

Question 23

Define corporate crime.

Answer 23

Crimes committed by companies (health and safety neglect).

Question 24

Why are corporate crimes difficult co convict?

Answer 24

Not routinely prosecuted, usually dealt with outside of criminal justice system.
Difficult to pin blame.

Question 25

How do Marxists view WCC and corporate crime?

Answer 25

hidden from view, crimes of elite exert greater economic toll on society than crimes of ‘ordinary people’.

Question 26

What does Snider say that supports the Marxist view of WCC and corporate crime?

Answer 26

Cost of WCC and corporate crime to the economy out weights the cost of street crime by ‘typical’ criminals.

Question 27

Describe the Guinness Affair- evidence

Answer 27

Leaked financial markets by Guinness directors, boosted price of Guinness shares.

Directors made lots of profits from the company directly and
indirectly for themselves.

Ronson, received 1 yr sentence, released on parole after 6 months- lots of access inside.

Saunders- 5 yr sentence, released after 18 months due to fake diagnosis of Alzheimer’s.

Question 28

How does the Guinness Affair support the Marxist view of crime?

Answer 28

Bourgeoisie escape crime because of money and power, working-class can’t do this

Question 29

According to Gordon, what do the police and criminal justice system focus on and ignore?

Answer 29

Focus on policing working class areas and prosecuting working and underclass criminals.
Ignores crimes of elite, still likely commit crime.

Question 30

According to Gordon, what does disproportionate prosecution of working-class criminals do for society?

Answer 30

serves to maintain ruling-class power and reinforce ruling class ideology.

Question 31

According to Gordon, how does selective law enforcement benefit capitalist systems?

Answer 31

Punishing individuals and making them responsible for their actions, defining as ‘social failures’.

Ignore system failings led to inequality and poverty, leading to crime.

Imprisonment of selective members of lower classes neutralises opposition to system.

Police, court, media focus on working-class street crime attention diverted away from greed of elite classes.

Question 32

How do Social action theorists critique the Marxist view of behvaiour?

Answer 32

Social action theorists argue we have free will and can decide if we want to commit crime. Marxist’s say behvaiour is governed by external forces

Question 33

Critique Marxist view of crime in terms of a full explanation.

Answer 33

represent working-class as creative response to oppression when much working-class crime directed at working class pp- don’t fully explain why all working class pp don’t commit crime.

Question 34

Critique Marxist view of crime in terms of motivation.

Answer 34

Ignores individual motivation- blame capitalist force.

Implausible to explain all laws in terms of elite interest.