Crime : Chambliss

Cards (7)

  • Chambliss examined how laws began to focus on property at the time of the industrial revolution - before this the lords of the land were undisputed and their land was not mobile. However, with the growth of factories and industry, laws to protect property and land were needed to protect the wealth of the lords and business owners.
  • Chambliss points out that the majority of laws are created to protect the property of the bourgeoisie. Pearce supports this by suggesting that even laws such as health and safety laws which seem to protect the proletariat are really there to benefit the bourgeoisie by ensuring they have healthy workers.
  • Chambliss conducted his study over ten years, he questioned many different people such as prostitutes, pimps, police officers, governors, thieves, racketeers and drug runners. He found that crime was found in every single strata of society - it was merely the fact that the lower classes were getting caught. For him, power comes from wealth and influence and those with power kept themselves out of trouble.
  • During his study he found that 70% of crimes was for drunken disorder in the working-class areas, this was because the police were focusing their attention to these areas and leaving the upper classes to get along.
  • Findings from study 1/4
    There is major crime in Seattle and majority of it comes from the political and economic elite. It includes illegal gambling, porn, prostitutes and drugs; he found this was rife amongst the ruling classes yet nothing was being done to stop it. In one example, he found that the president of the local bank was involved in a drugs ring and was helping local criminals to hide tax-free money and place it back into other legal ventures.
  • Questioned prostitutes, pimps, police officers, governors, thieves, racketeers and drug addicts finding crime in every strata of society: only the working class were getting caught. Power, wealth and influence are what he believed kept them out of trouble.
  • 70% of crimes were from drunken disorder from working class areas; the police were focusing their attention to these areas.
    • majority of crime comes from political and economic elite: gambling, porn, prostitutes and drugs .
    • bourgeoisie benefit from these crimes and use it to finance legal business ventures.
    • corruption of local politicians & law enforcers meant this could flourish
    • criminal acts in favour of the ruling classes weren't punished.