Class differences in crime

• Functionalist view of class differences in crime

  not everyone is adequately socialised and WC develop a subculture that clashes with mainstream values
• Strain Theories view of class differences in crime

  Merton - blocked opportunities leads to crime through innovation, retreatism and rebellion
• Subcultural Theories view of class differences in crime


  WC youth are culturally deprived, leading to status frustration leading to them inverting mainstream values
• Labelling theories view of class differences in crime


  rejects official statistics and argues hat the WC are labelled as criminals based on a 'typical criminal' stereotype.
• Marxism - criminogenic capitalism


  capitalism produces crime by dulling senses to exploration and poverty may be the only way WC can survive. Alienation leads to frustration and non-utilitarian crimes.
• Marxism - ideological function of crime and law


  the laws that benefit workers such as work safety are used to legitimate exploitations and gives a 'caring face' = false class consciousness.
• marxism - the state and law making


  -laws to protect private property

  -state is reluctant to pass laws that regulate activity of businesses

  -selective enforcement
• Neo Marxism Subcultural Theory


  capitalism maintains control through:

  -ideological control (media presenting crime as a WC problem)

  -economic pressures (WC wanting to keep jobs to survive)

  groups that are marginalised are not socialised in the ideology so resist
• Neo Marxism (New Criminology)


  Taylor, Walton, Young

  despite political motives, crime is a choice

  CJS serves the RC

  decriminalisation of drug offences would be good as laws are intolerant and restrictive
• Neo-Marxism: Critical Criminology


  Doesn't accept existing laws as being objective

  Sociologists should study social harm rather than law breakings (Zeminology)
• Zeminology


  An objective measure of social harm
• Neo Marxism - Myth of Black Criminality


  Gilroy - denies that black people commit more crimes

  Negative stereotypes exist leading to labelling and selective policing of black groups.
• Neo-Marxism: Policing the Crisis


  Stuart Hall et al's research

  views the moral panic about muggings in the 1970s as an ideological attempt to distract from capitalism, inflation and unemployment