Marxism

• Describe the Marxist theory?

  Argue the unequal structure of capitalist society shapes peoples behaviour, includes criminal behaviour and how society deals with it

  All the institutions of capitalist society maintain the inequality and exploitation (CJS)

  The law and courts + police are simply means of keeping working class in their place
• What 2 classes does Marxist‘s divide the capitalist society into?


  Ruling capitalist class - bourgeoisie

  The working class - proletariat
• What were the 3 main elements that law has according to Marxist’s?

  Capitalism causes crime

  law making and enforcement are biased

  crime and law perform ideological functions
• What are some examples of why Marxist’s argue that ideas about crime and law are ideological?


  Selective enforcements make it look as if crime is the fault of working class

  • divides working class encourages workers to blame working class criminals not capitalists

  shifts attention away from much more serious ruling class crime

  some laws benefit workers to a limited extent

  • Health and Safety laws - give capitalists a caring face
  • encourages working class to accept capitalism instead of replacing with a more equal society
• What are some reasons for capitalism causing crime?


  exploitation of working class drives them into poverty so crime might be the only way to survive

  capitalism causes crime among the capitalists themselves

  • promote greed
  • encourages them to commit corporate crime

  inequality leads to frustration resulting in non-utilitarian crimes
• How does Marxist’s see law Laing and law enforcing as serving the interests of the capitalist class?

  Law making - Chambliss argues that laws are made to protect private property of the rich

  • laws against homeless, squatting in empty houses but no laws against rich owning several houses

  Selective law enforcement:

  • out of 200 companies who have broken health and safety laws only 3 had been prosecuted
  • despite large number of deaths in a workplace due to employer’s negligence only 1 successful prosecution in 8 yrs
  • corporate crimes are often punished by fines not jail
• What are some strengths of the Marxist’s view of crime and law?

  shows how poverty and inequality can cause working class crime

  • how capitalism promotes greed and encourages upper class crime

  shows how both law making and enforcement are biased against the working class and in favour of the powerful

  • corporate crimes rarely prosecuted
• What are some limitations of the Marxist‘s view of crime and law?

  focuses on class + largely ignores relationship between crimes and other inequalities

  • gender ethnicity

  Over predicts amount of working class crime: not all poor people turn to crime