marxism

• the conflict between classes affects all aspects of society including crime
• capitalism ?

  economic system based on private ownership of means of production, distribution and exchange.
• marxists see society as being based on an unequal conflicy between classes
• capitalist societies encourage crime
• structural conflict theory
• believe the bourgeoisie have power to decide whether actions are deviant between classes ie cocaine use
• crimeogenic capitalism?

  capitalist society inevitably generates crime
• crime and working class ?

  capitalism is based on exploitation of working class, it uses them as a means to an end for profit. poverty may mean the only way someone working class can survive and get consumer goods which are advertised, alienation lack of control over their lives may lead frustration and agression resulting in crimes such as vandalism and violence
• working class commit crimes because of poverty, desire for good and alienation/lack of control
• capitalism is a competitive, 'dog eat dog' system which encourages greed, self-interest and emphasises the importance of winning
• both groups commit crime because capitalism encourages greed and self interest, it generates frustration and aggression
• crimes motivated by financial gain are utilitarian crimes, crimes with no financial motive are non-utilitarian crimes, these can be seen as an expression of the frustration, aggression or anger of the working class
• enforcement and law making is biased- serves the ruling class, most law is based on protective private property so the essence of capitalism is protected, therefore this protects the ruling class who are the ones that own private property and make laws
• the function of crime and law is to serve the rich?

  law and criminal justice is a tool used by ruling class to maintain a position of power, laws which appear to protect the workers can be reinterpreted as a way to keep the working class loyal to a capitalist system- working class feel like they're being cared for but ruling class are ensuring their workers are healthy and fit
• ruling class vs working class crime ?

  crimes of the powerful are rarely prosecuted for example failing to pay business taxes and breaking trading laws whereas those at the bottom of the class system who are caught breaking the law are regularly prosecuted
• estimated in USA street crime costs over 4 billion per year but the costs of corporate crime is more than twenty times greater, the working class are punished whilst the ruling go unnoticed- this is what maintains the class system
• a03?

  useful for providing an explanation of the relationship between crime and the working class of capitalist society and shows the interest between law making and the ruling class. However, it may just be that more working class people get caught committing crime
• a03?

  deterministic- claims working class people who suffer exploitation WILL be criminal, people have free will
• a03?

  capitalism as an excuse for crime- as theory is deterministic and socially sensitive so it could be used as an excuse as to why working class people commit crime, from marxist perspective crime is fault of capitalism. therefore the working class have reason to commit utilitarian crimes, it can also be an excuse for upper class crime as capitalism is a dog eat dog system that is promoting financial gain
• a03?

  may capitalist countries have low crime rates like japan and switzerland, crime also takes place in communist countries, this proves the theory as false
• informing policy development ?

  no significant impact on modern crime policy but it argues criminals should be punished, punishment maintains social order. 18th century punishments consisted of hanging and deportation and were part of a rule of terror by the bourgeoisie, under capitalism custodial sentences are the dominant form of punishment