CRIME AND DEVIANCE - Marxism - 1) Engels, White and Blue Collar Crimes, Gordon, Criminogenic Capitalism, The State and Law Making, Snider, Reiman + Hughes and Langan

Question 1

Where do most of the Marxist ideas regarding crime come from? HINT: Traditional Marxism!

Answer 1

Marx himself wrote very little about crime, so most of the ideas come from other sources!

In Traditional Marxism, they linked crime to the economy!

Question 2

What 3 things does the Ruling Class’ Control of the State give it power to do?

Answer 2

1) Make and enforce the law to its own advantage –> They can avoid investigating and looking into White Collar Crimes

2) Protect its privileged position in the class structure (maintain power at the top of the social hierarchy)

3) Criminalise any threat made to its power or ownership of property

Question 3

What are the Three Main Elements of the Marxist Theory of Crime?

Answer 3

1) Criminogenic Capitalism

2) The State and Law-Breaking (what the Government decides to do about crimes / when and what types of crimes it decides to crack-down on)

3) Ideological Functions of Crime and Law (ISA)

Question 4

What are White Collar Crimes?

Answer 4

Crimes that are committed in a commercial setting by individuals and they may or may not involve violence.

Question 5

Give some examples of White Collar Crimes? HINT: Name as many as you can; there are 7 here!

Answer 5

• Fraud
• Corporate manslaughter
• Bankrupting a nation
• Tax evasion
• Breaking health and safety
• Speeding
• Rape

Question 6

What are White Collar Crimes also known as? HINT: M/C Crimes!

Answer 6

Middle-class crimes!

Question 7

What are Blue Collar Crimes?

Answer 7

Crimes that are more likely to be performed by people of lower socio-economic classes in society. Most of the time these cause injury to other people!

Question 8

Give some examples of Blue Collar Crimes? HINT: Name as many as you can; there are 6 here!

Answer 8

• Benefit fraud
• Rape
• Murder
• Shoplifting
• Speeding
• Domestic violence

Question 9

What are Blue Collar Crimes also known as? HINT: W/C Crimes!

Answer 9

Working-class Crimes!

Question 10

What is the definition of Organisational Crime?

Can you provide an example of an organisation that could commit this type of crime?

Answer 10

Crime associated within an organisation!

The Council!

Question 11

What is the definition of Occupational Crime?

Can you provide an example of this?

Answer 11

Crime being enabled by an occupation; abusing your position in a workplace!

Insider trading!

Question 12

What is the definition of Corporate Crime?

Can you provide and example of this?

Answer 12

Crime committed by and for the benefit of a corporation (similar to organisational crime)!

Johnson vs Johnson Case –> They used unsafe pelvis mesh for operations and got sued!

Question 13

What is the definition of Street Crime?

Can you provide an example?

Answer 13

Quick, cheap and low skill crimes in public!

Vandalism!

Question 14

What is the definition of State Crime?

Can you provide an example?

Answer 14

Crime committed by a Government / Ruling Party! (War crimes also come under this label)

As seen with Hamas and Israel and Russia and Ukraine!

Question 15

What does Engels investigate?

Answer 15

Capitalism being CRIMINOGENIC!

Question 16

What is Engels’ Book called?

Answer 16

‘The Condition of the Working Class in England, 1845’

Question 17

(ENGELS) What does Criminogenic mean?

Answer 17

Something that causes or starts crime –> Marxists say that the capitalist society is a cause of crime being started!

CRIM = Criminal and crime
GENIC = Genes / Genesis –> The start of something

Question 18

(ENGELS) What 3 choices does Engels say are the choices people in a capitalist society have, in regards to distress due to poverty?

Answer 18

Engels says that, in a capitalist society, the only choices people have, due to distress due to poverty, are:

1) Killing themselves quickly

2) Starving themselves slowly

3) Taking what they need where they find it - Stealing

Question 19

(ENGELS) What one of Engels’ three choices is often done by the majority in capitalist society?

Answer 19

Stealing is often done by the majority!

Question 20

What do Marxists all say about Criminogenic Capitalism (links to Engels)?

Answer 20

They argue that crime is INEVITABLE in CAPITALISM. This is because CAPITALISM is CRIMINOGENIC –> Capitalism causes crime!

Question 21

What is the definition of Utilitarian Crime?

How does this link to Criminogenic Capitalism?

Answer 21

Greed / material crimes, such as fraud!

People want stuff they do not have –> Capitalism priorities greed!

Question 22

What is the definition of Non-Utilitarian Crime?

How does this link to Criminogenic Capitalism?

Answer 22

Crime that does not have a material reason behind it, such as vandalism!

It is just frustration at the system and at the realisation that you are being exploited; fighting back at and against the system!

Question 23

What is the definition of Corporate Crime?

How does this link to Criminogenic Capitalism?

Answer 23

Crimes committed by and for the benefit of a corporation!

The rich / upper class / bourgeoisie just want to keep on getting richer and maintain their wealth!

Question 24

What is the definition of State Crime?

How does this link to Criminogenic Capitalism?

Answer 24

Crime committed by the government / ruling party!

If the ruling-class lose power, then they will no longer be in control!

Question 25

How does Capitalism cause Crime? / How is Capitalism Criminogenic?

Answer 25

Greed and material gain –> People commit crimes because they are greedy; they NEED or WANT something!

Some individuals want to gain riches because they have not got anything (the proletariat), whilst others want to get richer (the upper class)!

Question 26

Explain the Influence of the Superstructure in making Capitalism Criminogenic!

Answer 26

The superstructure (so institutions in the society, like the media) socialise people to consume goods. This entices people to want things that they cannot have. This then means that people commit crime!

People want to CONSUME or HAVE ACCESS TO things that cannot have!

Question 27

Explain how Capitalism causes Poverty!

Answer 27

The desperation of being poor may mean that you turn to a life of crime to get the goods and supplies you need to survive!

Question 28

Explain the link between Status Frustration (Links to Cohen) and the idea that Capitalism is Criminogenic!

Answer 28

Alienation and the lack of control over their life may lead an individual to become frustrated with the system! This may lead to them becoming aggressive, which results in crime; usually non-utilitarian crimes, such as violence and vandalism!

Question 29

What does David Gordon say Crime is to the Capitalist System? HINT: A … Response to the System!

Answer 29

A Rational Response to the Capitalist System; crime is found in all social classes (as evident by both White Collar and Blue Collar Crimes)!

Question 30

(GORDON) What social class of crime get recorded the most?

Answer 30

Working-class crimes –> Blue-collar crimes!

Question 31

(GORDON) What 4 things does Capitalism create that drive Crime?

Answer 31

• Greed
• Competition
• Materialism
• Consumerism

Question 32

(GORDON) What does he not address?

Answer 32

Why some people DO commit crimes and why other people DO NOT!

Question 33

In terms of the State and Law-Making, how do Functionalists and Marxists differ in their views?

Answer 33

FUNCTIONALISTS = They see the law as reflecting the whole consensus and representing the interests of society as a whole!

MARXISTS = They see law-making and law enforcement as only serving the interests of the ruling class / bourgeoisie!

Question 34

In terms of the State and Law-Making, what power does the ruling class have?

Answer 34

The ruling class have the power to prevent the introduction of laws that would threaten their interests; there are few laws that challenge the unequal distribution of wealth, as this would endanger the wealth of the ruling class / bourgeoisie!

Question 35

What does Snider argue, in relation to the State and Law-Making?

Answer 35

They argue that the capitalist state is reluctant to pass laws that regulate the activities of businesses / threaten their profitability, power or status; they avoid investigating white-collar crimes!

Question 36

(SNIDER) Can you provide one / two examples, in relation to the State and Law-Making, that demonstrates how the capitalist state is reluctant to pass laws?

Answer 36

• Dividends
• The example of the Barclays boss giving themself a bonus!

Question 37

What does Reiman argue, in relation to the State and Law-Making?

Answer 37

They argue that ‘street crimes’, such as assault and theft are more likely to be reported and pursued by the police than ‘white collar’ crimes, such as fraud or ‘insider training’.

They found that the more likely a crime is to be committed by higher class people, the less likely it is to be treated as a criminal offence.

Certain groups in the population are more likely to be at the receiving end of law enforcement, so crime statistics for these individuals and groups will be higher!

Question 38

What are some of the reasons as to why Street Crimes are more likely to be reported? HINT: There are 5 answers here, but name as many as you can!

Answer 38

• They are easier to identify
• They are easier to track
• Easier to prove with DNA evidence
• They have more obvious victims
• They are usually short term and often one-off occurrences

Question 39

What sociologists study White Collar Crimes and identify why they go undetected?

Answer 39

Hughes and Langan

Question 40

(HUGHES AND LANGAN) What are the 4 reasons they give as to why ‘White Collar’ Crimes go undetected?

Answer 40

• Low Visibility
• Complexity
• Diffusion of Responsibility
• Diffusion of Victimisation

Question 41

(HUGHES AND LANGAN) Explain why ‘White Collar Crimes’ go undetected due to Low Visibility!

Answer 41

White collar crimes are hard to track, as they are not in the public gaze, so reports for white collar crimes are usually very unrepresentative of the true number actually committed!

Question 42

(HUGHES AND LANGAN) Explain why ‘White Collar Crimes’ go undetected due to Complexity!

Answer 42

They are large scale, so they are harder to track. It is also hard to allocate blame to just one individual if a whole group of people are involved, such as a whole group or business.

Question 43

(HUGHES AND LANGAN) Explain why ‘White Collar Crimes’ go undetected due to diffusion of Responsibility!

Answer 43

It is, again, difficult to give out and allocate blame, as seen with the Thalidomide Disaster in the late 50s and early 60s –> So many people were involved in the government and in different businesses that it was hard to ‘pin all of this’ on one particular person!

Question 44

(HUGHES AND LANGAN) Explain why ‘White Collar Crimes’ go undetected due to Diffusion of Victimisation!

Answer 44

Most white collar crimes are victimless or have no obvious victims; also, some victims do not know that they are actually victims / affected by something, such as victims of fraud.