marxism and crime

• Main four issues causing crime?

  • criminogenic capitalism
  • law creation
  • ideological law enforcement
  • crimes of the powerful
• Criminogenic capitalism?


  • crimes committed out of necessity
  • crimes committed in protest against unfair treatment
  • crimes committed out of greed and over competitiveness
• Law creation?

  • laws that benefit the ruling classes
• Ideological law enforcement?


  • ruling class avoiding punishment
  • laws that appear to benefit the working class but are not properly enforced
• Crimes of the powerful?

  • white collar crime
  • corporate crime
• Chambliss?


  studied selective law enforcement in Seattle

  • 70% of arrests were for public drunknness, white collar crime involving leading politicians
  • police and big business was all but ignored
• Snider?


  The state is reluctant to pass - or enforce - stringent laws against pollution, worker health and safety, or monopolies. Such measures scare off much sought after investment and engender the equally dreaded loss of confidence
• Criticisms of marxism on crime?

  • ignores the consequences for the victims of street crime
  • street crime tends to be intra-class, not inter-class
  • suggest that the high rate of recorded crime among the working class, youth and blacks is solely the outcome of biased policing
  • they argue the laws are biased against the working class, forcing them into crime
  • not all laws are in the interests of the ruling class only
  • suggests wc are simply innocent people who are picked on by the police
  • suggests wc who engage in crime are really engaged in political action, opposing capitalism
• Positives of marxism on crime?

  • provides clear demonstration of links between economy and social issues such as crime
  • identifies bourgeois values of competition, consumerism and individualism as contributing to crime figures
  • identifies white collar crime as a major contributor to lawlessness
  • seeks to defend those unfairly criminalised by criminal justice system
• The Lancet research?


  2009

  showed rises in unemployment led to rises in suicide and homicide
• Downing street Policy Unit 2006?

  estimated an improving economy explained 80% of the fall in crime from the mid 1990s
• Box?

  Claim the law is written by the bourgeoisie and therefore only reflects their interests (ideological law making)
• Pearce?


  Laws are rarely enforced and usually benefit the bourgeoisie as a healthy and happy workforce is more productive and obedient

  • the 'caring face of capitalism'
• Marxists believe crime is inevitable in a capitalist society because capitalism is?

  Criminogenic
• What is the difference between corporate and white collar crime?

  White collar is committed by individuals, corporate by companies
• Marxists see law making and enforcement as?

  Serving the interests of the capitalist ruling classes
• How do marxists say the law and crime performs an ideological function?

  Passes laws that appear to benefit the working class, such as workplace health and safety laws, however, these normally also benefit the ruling class and create a false consciousness among the workers