Relationship between crime and social class

• Gordon

  Argues capitalism is responsible for crime committed by w/c people because the value system is criminogenic

  • means crime is national and inevitable consequences of capitalism
• Gordon

  Argues crime committed by poorer people, homeless and unemployment are a rational response to inequalities and humanities that they experience on daily basis
• Capitalism is characterised by class inequality

  Poverty, unemployment, poor-quality housing are facts of life for those at the bottom of the capitalist society
• Chambliss

  Capitalism is based upon competition, selfishness and greed > shapes people's attitudes to crime
• Gordon

  Argues capitalism encourages a 'dog eat dog' world and a system of ruthless competition
• Capitalists values of consumerism, individualism and materialism have become more important than community co-operation and altruism
• Media encourages emphasis on celebrity, money and material success > leads to common culture of greed and self-interest

  • in this criminogenic environment crime is inevitable
• The need to win at all costs, need to make a profit and the desire for self-enrichment encourages the already rich and powerful to commit white-collar and corporate crime such as tax evasion
• Capitalists emphasis on wealth creates culture of envy in poorer sections of society > responds to growing inequality with resentful hostility > failure and humiliation is a daily occurrence under capitalism > may fuel non-economic crime as drug addiction and domestic violence
• Chambliss

  Social class shapes the way that police react to delinquency

  • when m/c men (saints) behaved in deviant way, use status and good reputation to negotiate way out of trouble
  • w/c men (rough-necks) are constantly under surveillance and were treated more harshly than the saints when they come into confrontation with the teachers and police
• East London: Postcode Wars

  • Areas with social deprivation face crime among youths > many youths involved in crime
  • W/c ethnic boys want to prove people wrong through success
  • Gym built for youths because rich won't build playground for youths
  • White people sell knifes and labelled 'business men', ethnic people do the same and they're labelled 'terrorists'