CLASS AND CRIME

• What does Gordon say about capitalism?

  It is criminogenic as it is based upon the unequal divide between classes, committing crime is inevitable
• what is criminogenic capitalism?

  Marxist idea that crime is inevitable because of the nature of capitalist society
• what is white collar crime?

  crime committed by a person of respectability and a high social social status in the course of their occupation. Overlaps with corporate crime
• How do the bourgeoisie ignore white collar crime?

  use their power through the repressive state apparatus of the justice system to criminalise the negative actions of the working class and labelling them as deviant
• what are the types of white collar crime?

  Tombs said

  occupational crime

  corporate crime
• What is occupational crime?

  Crime against the organisation

  Eg stealing, fraudulent expenses, tax evasion, embezzlement
• what is corporate crime?

  crime for the organisation

  eg crimes against employees or consumers, environmental crime, financial crimes
• How does Marxism explain white collar crime?

  Differential association - Where deviant practices are associated with the institution

  De labelling or non labelling of white collar criminals
• what did Snider say?

  capitalist states are reluctant to pass laws which regulate large capitalist concerns and threaten profitability.
• Corporate Homicide Act

  2007 - only 25 companions have been prosecuted since, despite large numbers of deaths at work
• What does Pearce say?

  laws appear to be for the working class (eg health and safety) but Pearce believes these laws benefit the bourgeoisie’s by keeping employees fit to work. Continues ideological control for proletariat and a false class consciousness
• Alton Towers

  Smiler ride malfunction - 2 people lost a leg had 2 million compensation

  Fined £5 million

  Profits increased by 3.6% in 2016

  Engineers never read or seen operation booklet

  Merlin Attractions - pled guilty to breaking health and safety laws
• VW Diesel Dupe

  placed an illegal defeat device software so emissions looked much lower. were 40x over limit

  $30 billion in fines, $2.8 billion in penalties

  looking at 13 million docs to seek blame. (red tape)

  no one was imprisoned

  ‘mistake’ ‘crisis’
• Zebrugge Disaster

  P and O ship capsized

  193 died, March 1987

  Negligence by assistant boatswain who fell asleep, bow doors were not closed.

  P&O charged with corporate manslaughter
• Thalidomide

  Morning sickness drug

  Not fully checked by FDSA

  caused limb deformation in 10000 babies during 50s and 60s
• What does Chambliss say?

  the laws protect private property, tax laws (loopholes) suit the bourgeoisie, the ruling class prevent laws that threaten their interests
• what is critical criminology?

  proposed by Taylor, Walton and Young. A fully social and holistic theory of deviance
• what are the six factors to consider for critical criminology?

  Wider origins of deviant act

  immediate origins of deviant act

  actual deviant act

  immediate origins of societal reaction

  wider origins of social reaction

  impact on future behaviour
• what is selective law enforcement?

  bourgeoisie control the proletariat through law enforcement, use their power to focus police and CJS onto working class crime, create perception it is worse than corporate crime. Pass laws that punish blue collar crimes that deviate from social norms and values
• what did Stuart Hall say?

  Policing the Crisis

  in the 70’s there was a crisis of hegemony where men started to challenge dominant norms and values of the ruling class through industrial action, led to unemployment and them crime as an alternative means. The bourgeoisie used the black mugger as a scapegoat to divide the w/c and deflect attention from capitalist power