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AQA A-Level Sociology Burnley College > 4.2 - Class, Power & Crime (Marxism) > Flashcards

4.2 - Class, Power & Crime (Marxism) Flashcards

1
Q

General Marxist View on Crime

A

> Law mainly enforced selectively against the working class, and official statistics are flawed

> The Criminal Justice System serves upper class interests & the structure of capitalism explains crime.

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2
Q

Criminogenic Capitalism

A

Crime inevitable, as capitalism is criminogenic - it’s very nature causes crime, as it’s based on exploiting the working class for profit.

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3
Q

Why does working class crime occur due to Capitalism being criminogenic?

A

> Poverty means crime is only way the working class can survive

> Only way of getting consumer goods, promoted by advertising leading to utilitarian crimes e.g. theft

> Alienation causes frustration, leading non-utilitarian crimes e.g. violence

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4
Q

Why does upper class crime occur due to Capitalism being criminogenic?

A

Win at all costs mentality instilled, encourages greed profit, so do corporate crime e.g. tax evasion

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5
Q

Chambliss - Criminogenic Capitalism

A

> Crime’s universal & present in all social classes, due to focus on utilitarian gains

> Working class & upper class both used different means to get goods, working class have limited means of crime so use violence & thefts

> Upper class have more options e.g. white-collar crime e.g. fraud or corporate crime

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6
Q

Criticisms of Chambliss

A

Too deterministic, not all working class turn to crime, despite financial position

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7
Q

Gordon - Prevalence of Crime

A

> Crime is rational response to capitalism in a dog eat dog society - present in all classes

> Especially in US with lack of welfare, so working class have to do crime to survive

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8
Q

Chambliss - State & Law Making

A

> Main purpose of law was to protect wealth from masses

> e.g. English law introduced in East Africa, but didn’t want to work for British

> Government made tax with punishment for non-payment, led to new workforce for plantation owners, so they can pay tax

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9
Q

Snider - State & Law Making

A

> State is reluctant to pass laws, regulating businesses e.g. profit is more important than people

> People who commit corporate crime are less likely to be prosecuted

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10
Q

Reiman - Selective Enforcement

A

> Powerless groups more likely to be criminalised, courts tend to ignore crimes of powerful

> e.g. Social Security Fraud by WC always prosecuted, but tax evasion of UC isn’t

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11
Q

Pearce - Ideological Functions of Crime & Law

A

> Laws appearing to benefit WC often benefit UC more

> e.g. health & safety laws, keeps workers fit 4 wrk, creates FCC.

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12
Q

Criticisms of Law Creation in favour of bourgeoisie

A

> Laws created for harmonious running of society e.g. theft, violence etc.

> Consumer rights laws, protects our rights

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13
Q

Ideological Functions of Crime & Law

A

> State enforces law selectively due to OS crime appears a WC phenomenon, shifts attention from UC crime

> Divides WC encouraging workers to blame criminals for problems not capitalism

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14
Q

Althusser - Ideology

A

> Some reject ISA, so control & order thus needs to be maintained through RSA

> Police & Army use physical force to deal with those who rebel vs social order

> e.g. 2011 Riots & Police response to BLM, works in favour of UC

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15
Q

Criticisms of Althusser

A

Most reject ISA of UC, w/out rebelling to an extent that needs RSA to intervene

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16
Q

Left Realists - Criticisms of Marxism

A

Marx focuses on crimes of powerful ignores most crimes v WC v WC e.g. theft

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17
Q

General Evaluation of Marxism

A

> Gives criminals a victim status

> Not all capitalist societies have + crime rates e.g. Japan less crime > US

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18
Q

3 ways Neo-Marxists agrees with Traditional Marxism

A

> Capitalism based on exploitation & inequality, key to understanding crime

> State enforces laws for benefit of UC

> Favour classless society, where crimes greatly reduced

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19
Q

Neo-Marxism & Anti-Determinism (Taylor)

A

Reject idea workers do crime due to poverty as well as ext factors e.g. anomie & labelling

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20
Q

Crime as Voluntarist (Taylor)

A

> Criminals make conscious choice to do crime, to desperately change society

> Often w/ political motive eg. redistributing wealth & not puppets of capitalism.

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21
Q

Rock - Criticisms of Taylor

A

> Overly romantic view of criminals e.g ‘’robin hoods’’ fighting injustice, LR states most crimes by WC v WC

> Ignores effects on WC v’s

22
Q

General Criticisms of Taylor

A

Crimes e.g. DV/Rape not politically motivated, RR state crime is opportunistic, not reaction to injustice

23
Q

6 Elements of Taylor’s Full Social Theory of Deviance (FTSOD)

A
  1. Origins of Deviant Act
  2. Immediate Origins of Deviant Act
  3. Act itself & meaning for actor
  4. Immediate Origins of Social Reaction
  5. Wider Origins of Social Reaction
  6. Effects of Labelling
24
Q
  1. Origins of Deviant Act - FSTOD
A

Power structures in society & social inequality

25
Q
  1. Immediate Origins of Deviant Act - FSTOD
A

Context person decides to commit act e.g. loss of job

26
Q
  1. Act itself & meaning for actor - FSTOD
A

e.g. was it a form of rebellion v capitalism

27
Q
  1. Immediate Origins of Social Reaction - FSTOD
A

Reactions of those around deviant e.g. police & society

28
Q
  1. Wider Origins of Social Reaction - FSTOD
A

Those w/ power to define deviant actions & why some get treated harsher than others

29
Q
  1. Effects of Labelling - FSTOD
A

Deviant’s future actions

30
Q

Burke - Criticisms of Neo-Marxism

A

Too general to explain crime & too idealistic to tackle crime

31
Q

White-Collar Crime

A

> Done by people with high status, through their occupation

32
Q

Occupational Crime

A

Done by employees for personal gain e.g. stealing from company

33
Q

Corporate Crime

A

Done by employees for companies benefit e.g. to increase profits

34
Q

Scale of Corporate Crime (Tombs)

A

> Does more harm > street crime, huge costs e.g. deaths, injuries, pollutions

> Not just by a few, but widespread & routine

35
Q

Examples of Corporate Crime

A

> Financial Crimes

> Against Consumers

> Against Employees

> Against Environment

> State CC

36
Q

Reasons for Invisibility of Corporate Crime

A 
> Media
> Lack of Political Will
> Complex
> De-Labelling
> Under-Reporting
37
Q

Media - Reasons for Invisibility of Corporate Crime

A

> Limited coverage of CC, reinforces idea crimes WC issue

> Sugarcoat CC crime e.g. embezzlement as ‘’accounting irregularities’’

> & death @ work are accidents not negligence

38
Q

Lack of Political Will - Reasons for Invisibility of Corporate Crime

A

> To tackle CC instead focused on street crime

> e.g. HO used crime surveys to explore ordinary crime, not CC.

39
Q

Complex - Reasons for Invisibility of Corporate Crime

A

Law enforcers under-resourced & lack technical expertise to investigate effectively.

40
Q

De-Labelling - Reasons for Invisibility of Corporate Crime

A

CC filtered out of process of criminalisation, seen as civil not criminal penalties are often fines & not jail.

41
Q

Example of De-Labelling

A

> 3.6K UK ppl had secret bank accounts w/ HSBC to avoid tax

> But there was only 1 persecution & no action v HSBC

42
Q

Partial Visibility of Corporate Crime

A

> Media investigations into CC crime so + visible > past.

> Due to privatisation of public services, companies + involved in daily lives

> So now exposed to + scrutiny.

43
Q

Explanations of Corporate Crime (4)

A 
> Strain Theory
> Differential Association
> Labelling Theory
> Marxism
44
Q

Box (Strain Theory) - Explanations of CC

A

If companies are in tough situations & can’t maximise profit by legal means, they may be tempted to innovate

45
Q

Clinard & Yeager (Strain Theory) - Explanations of CC

A

> Law violations by large companies increased when financial performance fell.

> Highlighting willingness to achieve through innovation

46
Q

Sutherland (Differential Association) - Explanations of CC

A

> Criminal behaviour is learned from associating with people with criminal attitudes, leads us to be deviant ourselves.

> Culture of business favours aggressive personality types willing to achieve through crime - becomes socialised.

47
Q

Techniques of Neutralization (DA) - Explanations of CC

A

> People deviate easier if they produce justifications to neutralise objections to it

> e.g. say they were carrying orders from above or say everyone’s doing it.

48
Q

Labelling- Explanations of CC

A

MC able to negotiate non-criminal labels for behaviour

49
Q

Marxism - Explanations of CC

A

> CC results from capitalist goals, corporations only comply if enforce strictly

> They’re criminogenic as if legit means for profit is blocked they’ll resort to illegal means

50
Q

Box - Mystification (Marxism) - Explanations of CC

A

Spreads ideology CC is less harmful > WC crime, so stops state making laws conflicting w/ interests

51
Q

General Criticisms of Marxism - Explanations of CC

A

Doesn’t explain crime of non-profit organisations e.g. state

52
Q

Nelken - Criticisms of Marxism (Explanations of CC)

A

> Unrealistic all business would offend w/out risk of punishment

> due to factors e.g. maintaining PR w/other companies

AQA A-Level Sociology Burnley College (36 decks)

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