TOPIC 3 – CLASS, POWER AND CRIME -
MARXISM CLASS AND CRIME 2
EVALUATION OF MARXISM
- Marxism offers a useful explanation for the
relationship between crime and capitalist society. It
shows the link between law making and enforcement
and the interests of the capitalist class. By doing so,
it puts into wider structural context the insights of
labelling theory regarding the selective enforcement
of the law
- However, it largely ignores the relationship between
crime and non class inequalities such as ethnicity
and gender.
- It is too deterministic and over predicts the amount of
crime in the working class; not all poor people
commit crime, despite the pressures of poverty. (a
generalisation)
- Not all capitalist societies have high crime rates; the
homicide rate in Japan and Switzerland is a 1/5 of
that in the United States. (However, as Marxists
point out, societies with little or no state welfare
provision such as the USA tend to have higher crime
rates)
- The criminal justice system does sometimes act
against the interests of the capitalist class. For
example, prosecutions for corporate crime do occur.
However, Marxists argue such prosecutions perform
an ideological function in making the system seem
impartial
- Left realists argue Marxists ignore intra- class crimes
(where both criminals and victims are WC) such as
burglaries and mugging which cause great harm to
victims.
, TOPIC 3 – CLASS, POWER AND CRIME -
MARXISM CLASS AND CRIME 3
CLASS, POWER AND CRIME CLASS, POWER AND CRIME
NEO-MARXISM: CRITICAL CRIMINOLOGY NEO-MARXISM: CRITICAL CRIMINOLOGY
EVALUATION OF CRITICAL CRIMINOLOGY: A FULLY SOCIAL THEORY OF DEVIANCE
- Feminists say it is ‘gender blind’ focusing excessively on male criminality at
the expense of female. - Taylor et al aim to create a fully social theory of
- Left realists say critical criminology romantics working class criminals as deviance – a comprehensive understanding of
‘Robin Hoods’ who are fighting capitalism by re-distributing wealth from rich crime and deviance including:
to poor however in reality these criminals prey on the poor mostly. o Marxist ideas about the unequal
- ROGER HOPKINS BURKE (2005) argues that critical criminology is both distribution of wealth
too general to explain crime and too idealistic to be useful in tackling crime. o Interactionism and labelling theory about
meaning of deviant act for the actor &
societal reactions to it.
- Complete theory of deviance needs to unite six
NEO-MARXISM: CRITICAL CRIMINOLOGY aspects:
Neo-Marxists are sociologists who have been influenced by many of the ideas put 1) The wider origins of the deviant act:
forward by Marxism, but they combine these with ideas from other approaches in the unequal distribution of wealth and power
such as labelling theory. in the capitalist society
THE NEW CRIMINOLOGY: 2) The immediate origins of the deviant act:
TAYLOR ET AL agree with Marxists that: the particular context in which the individual
Capitalist society is based on exploitation and class conflict characterised decides to commit the act
by extreme inequalities of wealth and power. 3) The act itself:
This state makes and enforces laws in the interests of the capitalist class and its meaning
and criminalises members of the working class 4) The immediate origins of social reaction:
Capitalism should be replaced by a classless society. This would greatly reactions of police, family, community to
reduce the extent of crime. discovering the deviance.
HOWEVER: 5) The wider origins of social reaction:
ANTI – DETERMINISM: Taylor et al argue that Marxism is deterministic e.g. it in the structure of a capitalist society, especially
sees workers as driven to commit crime out of economic necessity. Taylor et al the issue of who has the power to define
believe crime is caused by other external factors such as anomie, subcultures or actions as deviant
labelling. 6) The effects of labelling:
- Taylor et al take a voluntaristic view (free will). They see crime as on the deviant’s future actions
meaningful action as a conscious choice by the actor.
MARXISM CLASS AND CRIME 2
EVALUATION OF MARXISM
- Marxism offers a useful explanation for the
relationship between crime and capitalist society. It
shows the link between law making and enforcement
and the interests of the capitalist class. By doing so,
it puts into wider structural context the insights of
labelling theory regarding the selective enforcement
of the law
- However, it largely ignores the relationship between
crime and non class inequalities such as ethnicity
and gender.
- It is too deterministic and over predicts the amount of
crime in the working class; not all poor people
commit crime, despite the pressures of poverty. (a
generalisation)
- Not all capitalist societies have high crime rates; the
homicide rate in Japan and Switzerland is a 1/5 of
that in the United States. (However, as Marxists
point out, societies with little or no state welfare
provision such as the USA tend to have higher crime
rates)
- The criminal justice system does sometimes act
against the interests of the capitalist class. For
example, prosecutions for corporate crime do occur.
However, Marxists argue such prosecutions perform
an ideological function in making the system seem
impartial
- Left realists argue Marxists ignore intra- class crimes
(where both criminals and victims are WC) such as
burglaries and mugging which cause great harm to
victims.
, TOPIC 3 – CLASS, POWER AND CRIME -
MARXISM CLASS AND CRIME 3
CLASS, POWER AND CRIME CLASS, POWER AND CRIME
NEO-MARXISM: CRITICAL CRIMINOLOGY NEO-MARXISM: CRITICAL CRIMINOLOGY
EVALUATION OF CRITICAL CRIMINOLOGY: A FULLY SOCIAL THEORY OF DEVIANCE
- Feminists say it is ‘gender blind’ focusing excessively on male criminality at
the expense of female. - Taylor et al aim to create a fully social theory of
- Left realists say critical criminology romantics working class criminals as deviance – a comprehensive understanding of
‘Robin Hoods’ who are fighting capitalism by re-distributing wealth from rich crime and deviance including:
to poor however in reality these criminals prey on the poor mostly. o Marxist ideas about the unequal
- ROGER HOPKINS BURKE (2005) argues that critical criminology is both distribution of wealth
too general to explain crime and too idealistic to be useful in tackling crime. o Interactionism and labelling theory about
meaning of deviant act for the actor &
societal reactions to it.
- Complete theory of deviance needs to unite six
NEO-MARXISM: CRITICAL CRIMINOLOGY aspects:
Neo-Marxists are sociologists who have been influenced by many of the ideas put 1) The wider origins of the deviant act:
forward by Marxism, but they combine these with ideas from other approaches in the unequal distribution of wealth and power
such as labelling theory. in the capitalist society
THE NEW CRIMINOLOGY: 2) The immediate origins of the deviant act:
TAYLOR ET AL agree with Marxists that: the particular context in which the individual
Capitalist society is based on exploitation and class conflict characterised decides to commit the act
by extreme inequalities of wealth and power. 3) The act itself:
This state makes and enforces laws in the interests of the capitalist class and its meaning
and criminalises members of the working class 4) The immediate origins of social reaction:
Capitalism should be replaced by a classless society. This would greatly reactions of police, family, community to
reduce the extent of crime. discovering the deviance.
HOWEVER: 5) The wider origins of social reaction:
ANTI – DETERMINISM: Taylor et al argue that Marxism is deterministic e.g. it in the structure of a capitalist society, especially
sees workers as driven to commit crime out of economic necessity. Taylor et al the issue of who has the power to define
believe crime is caused by other external factors such as anomie, subcultures or actions as deviant
labelling. 6) The effects of labelling:
- Taylor et al take a voluntaristic view (free will). They see crime as on the deviant’s future actions
meaningful action as a conscious choice by the actor.
