Critical Criminology Flashcards
What were some of the social turmoil the criminologist lived through in the 1960s
Realized inequality was deeply entrenched and those in power wished to reinforce, not change, the status quo
A multitude of approaches
There are many versions of conflict theory
All, in one way or another, are critiques of the relationship between power & crime
2 different forms of conflict
Pluralist conflict
- Many groups exert power, tend to have brief power and work together for brief moments
Radical, Marxist conflict
- 2 major classes in society: the proletariat and Bourgeoise have substantial conflicts of interest
Marxist conflict perspective in criminology
Marx himself wrote little on the subject of crime
Criminologists have adapted Marx’s work to analyze the relationship between crime and the social world
Marxist theories focus not on individual pathologies but on social, political, and economic structures that give rise to crime
The political and economic structures of capitalism promote conflict. This precipitates conditions for example unemployment that allow crime to occur
The law and crime should not be studied in isolation but in relation to the whole of society, particularly the economic sphere
The Marxist approach provides a framework to study the interrelations amount the capitalist mode of production, the state, law, crime control, and crime
Instrumental Marxism
Instrumental Marxism assumes the state and legal and political institutions are a direct reflection of the interests of the ruling/capitalist class
Law is equated with class rule
- The ruling class controls the formation of law, and the focus is on the coercive nature of the law
- The state and the legal system are instruments of the capitalist class
Structural Marxism
Structural Marxism opposes the instrumental Marxist assumptions that the state is the direct servant of the ruling class
Instead, it argues that the state institution function in the long-term interests of capitalism (to reproduce capitalist society)
The state and its institutions have a certain degree of independence from specific elites in the capitalist class (Relative autonomy)
Crimes of the powerful
Marxist research on corporate crime focuses on the harmful conduct of those inside the sphere of production in capitalist economies
Corporate crime has a far greater negative impact on society compared to “street crime”
Capitalism and profit maximization create strong motivation for corporations to commit crimes and enact other socially harmful behaviour
Central themes of critical criminology
Concepts of inequality and power are integral to understanding crime
Building off the work of Karl Marx, critical criminology notes that capitalism enriches some and improves many
- Produces a wide economic gap
- The state operates to legitimatize and protect social arrangments that benefit those profiting from capitalism
Crime is “Political”
What is and is not outlawed reflects the power structure in society
- Injurious acts of the poor are denied as crimes, while injurious acts of the wealthy and powerful are not
Critical criminologists argue crime should be defined as a violation of human rights
Central themes of Critical Criminology
See capitalism as the root causes of criminal behaviour
Creates a fertile environment for crimes by corporations
See the criminal justice system as serving the interests of the capitalist class
The solution to crime is the creation of a more equitable society
Capitalist and Crime
Marx and Capitalism
Bourgeoise
- Those who own the means of production
Proletariat
- Workers who did not own the means of production and must sell their labour for wages
Capitalism results in the demoralization of the working class
- only alleviated when workers bond together, revolt, and create a socialist class
Why has the revolution yet to be televised
- Fragmentation of capitalism due to stockholding
- A higher standard of living for workers
- Blue collar - lower prestige jobs, mostly manual labour
- White collar - higher prestige jobs, mostly mental activity - More worker organizations, like unions
- Greater legal protections, like safety, unemployment insurance, disbaility,
How do corportations cause harm and/or violence in society
BP oil disasters
Big pharma & the opioid crisis
Gun violence - Sandy Hook Elementry
- The families and a survivor of the shooting sued Reminton in 2015, saying the company should have never sild such a dangerous weapon to the public
Currie: Crime in a market society
Capitalism is the root cause of crime, especially the high rate of violent crime in the United States
Capitalism comes in multiple forms
- Compassionate capitalism -stresses social solidarity, equity, and community values
- Keirestu capitalism - paternalistic
- Contingent or harsh brand capitalism
What did currie refer to as a market society
The pursuit of personal economic gain because increasingly the dominant organizing principle of social life
Market principles suffused the whole social fabric
Argues market societies are Darwinian societies
sees the market economy as an amoral force that robs people of their jobs, fails to care for at-risk kids and families, and acquits the government for doing much about the human costs of inequality
