2.2.3.1 - Marxism (1848)

• Marxists see crime as a means of social control by the ruling class
• Police, justice systems, prisons, family, religions, and school all enforce punishments for non-conforming to the rules set by the bourgeoisie
• Marxism says that white collar crime is ignored and less powerful people are focused on and, therefore, more likely to be caught
• Marxists believe that different social classes are policed differently
• Marxism believes that the working class are more heavily policed
• Marixms argues that working class are expected to be more criminal, and therefore more likely to be caught and then an amplification cycle ensues
• Marxists believe that the government fabricate statistics to get the public on their side and suit their purposes
• Marxists believe crime is a result of inequality and poverty
• Marxists say that on average 42% of government statistics are false and misleading
• Capitalism is an economic society in which all f the production, distribution, and exchange of wealth is controlled by individual companies
• Capitalist companies exist to make money only
• Ruling capitalist class

  Bourgeoisie
• Working class

  Proletariat
• Bourgeoisie exploit the labour of the proletariat for money
• Capitalist industries work to maintain the inequality and exploitation of the working class
• The criminal justice system and the law maintain the inequalities and exploitation of the working class the most
• Crime is inevitable in a capitalist society
• Capitalistic societies are criminogenic
• Criminogenic


  A crime causing system
• Exploitation of the proletariat drives them to poverty
• Examples of exploitation of the proletariat are minimum wage and 0 hour contracts
• Capitalistic society pushes products through advertising to those who cannot buy the goods
• Advertisement of luxury items out of the working class' reach leads to crime rates increasing in order for the working class to obtain them
• Inequality causes feelings of alienation and frustration, which leads to crimes
• Capitalism causes crime amongst the bourgeoisie themselves

  • Profit motives promote greed
  • Encourages corporate crimes
• Capitalism is a crime but it also causes crime too