Marxism

Question 1

what are the three main elements of crime according to marxists

Answer 1

criminogenic capitalism

the state and law making

ideological functions of crime and law

Question 2

What is Criminogenic capitalism

Answer 2

meaning capitalism breads crime by encouraging individuals to pursue self interest

encouraging individuals to be materialistic consumers

generating inequality and poverty, which correlate and relate to higher crime rates

Question 3

What do marxist say about the state and law making

Answer 3

law making and enforcement serves the interest of the capital class

Chambliss (1975) - laws to protect private property are the cornerstone of capitalist economy

ruling class can prevent laws that harm their interests

Snider (1996) ruling class is reluctant to regulate the activities of business and threaten its profitability

Question 4

What is selective enforcement?

Answer 4

WC and ethnic minorities are criminalised, crimes of the powerful go infrared

Question 5

what is the marxist concept of ideological functions of crime and law

Answer 5

laws are passed that may appear to be to the benefit of the working class but benefit the ruling class too

Pearce (1976) laws created to keep the workers fit for work, creating a false class consciousness. amongst workers

These laws are not rigorously enforced, corporate homicide law 2007 0 only there has only been one prosecution in 8 years

Question 6

Evaluation of Marxism

Answer 6

Largely informs the relationship between crimes and non-class inequalities

too deterministic, overpredits the amount of crime in the working class

not all capitalist societies have hig crime rates

left realists argue that the Marxist explanation ignores intra-class crime

Question 7

what do Taylor, Walton and Young (1973) argue about New Criminology

Answer 7

capitalismt society is based n class conflict, characterised by extreme inequality

The state makes and enforces laws in the interest of the capitalist class and criminalised the working class

capitalism should be replaced by a classless society

Taylor et al argues marxism is too deterministic,, it is voluntarism and that crimes are committed thorugh conscious choice

Question 8

What is Stuart Hall’ argument about ‘policing the crisis’

Answer 8

adopts a Neo-marxist approach

the moral panic surrounding an increase of mugging in the 1970s is an ideological attempt to distract attention away from the failings of capitalism

Question 9

What is Taylor et al’s ‘fully social’ explanation of deviance

Answer 9

1. The wider origins of the deviant act
2. The immediate origins of the deviant act
3. The act itself
4. The immediate origins of societal reaction
5. The wider origins of societal reaction
6. The effects of labelling

Question 10

What is critical criminology

Answer 10

applying a wide range of perspectives to our understanding of crime

not as much emphasis on class as traditional Marxism

sees existing societies and CJs as unfair and exploitive

does not accept existing laws as being and views them to cause social harm

‘Zemiology - focusing more on social harm than law breaking

Question 11

Evaluation of Neo-Marxism

Answer 11

feminist argue that Taylor et al’ approach is gender blind

left realists say it romanticises working class criminals

Hopkins Burke (2005) argues it is both too general to explain and too idealistic to be useful