New Criminology Theory on Crime

Question 1

What are the similarties between Traditonal Marxism and New Criminology theories on crime?

Answer 1

Capitalist society is based on expolitation and class conflict - characterised by social inequality.
State makes and enforces laws in the interests of the powerful and criminalises the w/c.
Capitalism should be replaced with a classless society - would reduce or even eradicate crime.

Question 2

How do Taylor, Walton and Young critcise Traditional Marxism?

Answer 2

Criticise Tradtional Marxism for being determistic. As they argue capitalism itself causes crime as an economic necessity forcing w/c into criminality. They alos reject the claim that crime is caused by external factors such as anomie, subcultures, labelling, biological factors.

Question 3

Why do people commit crim according to Taylor, Walton and Young?

Answer 3

They take voluntaristic approach (acknowledge free will). See crime as a conscious, deliberate action.

Question 4

Why do the w/c commmit crime according to Taylor et al?

Answer 4

W/c are politcally motivated to choose utilitarian crime - to redistribute wealth from rich to the poor. Crime is a pro-revolutionary action and w/c choose to commit crime as they are deliberately trying to improve society.

Question 5

Why is crime positive according to Taylor et al?

Answer 5

See crime a pro-revolutionary - w/c rising up against the r/c. The problem of crime is illusory, only a problem to the r/c, and their interests, rather than a problem for society as a whole.

Question 6

What is a fully social theory on deviance? (Taylor et al)

Answer 6

1. Wider origins of the deviant act - unequal and exploitative nature of capitalist society.
2. Immediate origins of the deviant act - context in which the deviant act happened.
3. The act itself and its meaning to the deviant - what act was committed and why was the act committed.
4. The immediate origins of societal reaction - different responses to deviance from different people, e.g. police, family - is the deviant labelled by those groups as deviant or not.
5. Wider origins of reactions to deviance - law creation and enforcement, media responses.
6. Effects of the societal reaction on deviant - labelling theory and its consequences - are they labelled and does this self fulfilling propehecy happen.

Question 7

What is the evaluation for the New Criminology theory on crime?

Answer 7

Feminists accuse Taylor et al of being gender-blind - ignoring female crime.
Taylor et al romanticise w/c criminals + represent them as modern day Robin Hoods when most crime is intra-class.
Ignore the effects of crime on the victims.
Bruke - claims that their positive view of crime does not help us reduce crime rates.