Marxism

• What type of theory is Marxism?

  Social theory, highlights political and economical issues
• Who had conflict with one another?

  the rich and the poor
• What is Capitalism in Marxism terms?

  Economic system
• What did the industrial revolution promote?

  Capitalist ideologist and child labour
• Who were the Bourgeoise?

  Middle class
• Who were the Proletariat?

  Working class
• How does Marxism view capitalist society?

  Promotes wealth, oppresses poor
• Marxism is a structural theory. Marxists argue that the unequal structure of capitalist society shapes peoples behaviour. This includes criminal behaviour and how society deals with it.
• Marxists argue that capitalist society is divided into two classes:

  • The ruling capital class (bourgeoisie) who own the means of production (businesses, banks, lands etc)
  • The working class (proletariat) whose labour the capitalists exploit to make profit.
• Features:

  • Crime is caused by an unequal capitalist society
  • poor people live in miserable conditions
  • poor people commit crime to survive
• Inequality causes feelings of alienation and frustration resulting in violent crime and vandalism
• Marxists argue is inevitable in capitalist society, because capitalism is a criminogenic (crime causing) system
• The exploitation of the working class drives many people into poverty, meaning crime may be the only way to survive
• Capitalism continually push consumer goods at people through advertising, resulting in crimes such as theft in order to obtain them
• What is a major focus of law and enforcement?


  How law is enforced selectively
• Working class receiver harsher punishment
• Making and enforcing laws:

  • Marxists such as Chambliss argue that the laws are made to protect the private property of the rich e.g laws against homeless squatting
  • Marxists argue that the law in enforced selectively against the working class but not the upper class e.g white collar crimes of the rich are less likely to be prosecuted