Marxism and Neo Marxism

• Marxism - Crimogenic Capitalism

  • crime is a consequence of the economic structure of capitalism
  • capitalism is harsh, exploitative and breeds inequality, materialism and selfishness, which combine make crime in Capitalist societies inevitable
• The Elite Make the Law in their Own Interests

  • William Chambliss: At the heart of the capitalist system lies the protection of private property
  • Laureen Snider – Many nation states are reluctant to pass laws which restrict the freedom of Transnational Corporations to make profit
  • There is unequal access to the law – the more money you have, the better lawyer you can get
  • Harmful and exploitative acts in capitalist systems are not formally labelled criminal if these harmful activities make a profit
• All Classes Commit Crime

  • White Collar Crime = Individual middle class/ elite crime within a company , Corporate = Institutional crime
  • Typical examples include various types of fraud and negligence regarding health and safety at work.
  • The economic costs of Corporate Crime are greater than street crime
  • Despite being more costly to society, the crimes of the elite tend to go unpunished
• The ideological functions of selective law enforcement


  Gordon says 'selective law enforcement' benefits the Capitalist system in three major ways:

  • It means people ignore the failings of the system that lead to the conditions of inequality which generate crime.
  • The imprisonment of selected members of the lower classes neutralises opposition to the system.
  • It sweeps out of sight the ‘worst jetsam of Capitalist society’ such that we cannot see it
• Positive Evaulations of Marxist Theories

  • Dog eat Dog explains both White Collar and Elite Crime
  • Case studies and stats support the view that Corporate Crimes are harmful
• Negative Evaluations of Marxist Theories of Crime

  • crime has been decreasing in the UK in the last 20 years, yet we're increasingly 'neoliberal'
  • crime existed before capitalism and in communist societies
  • research shows the underclass doesn't really exist and working class culture is more complex
  • consensus theories argue that most people today have private property, so most people are protected by the law
  • it is unfair to compare corporate crime such as Fraud to street crime
  • some corporate crimes are punished
• Neo-Marxist Explanation of Crime

  • Neo-Marxism fuses Marxism and Interactionism
  • criminals are really the victims of an unjust system
  • sees criminals as 'oppressed heroes'
• Criticisms of Neo-Marxism

  • romanticies criminals
  • critical criminology offers us no realistic solution to the problem of crime
  • they ignore the impact street crimes can have on victims