Marxist Theories

• Snider 


  Argued that laws that benefit the working class are only passed reluctantly to prevent further loss of power
• Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill


  Oil spill causing 11 deaths, the extinction of 2 species and more. Punishment was that they paid $18.2 billion in fines, but no one went to jail
• Stephen Box


  Crimes by major corporations and the powerful are ignored, or fined rather than punished. Whereas crimes by the working class are severely punished.
• Marx


  Social conditions of crime - as capitalism develops, social conditions become worse

  • Pauperisation - proletariat become poorer whilst bourgeoisie become richer
  • Alienation - people become isolated from each other and encouraged to think only about themselves
• Criminogenic Capitalism


  Capitalism is always exploitative and abusive as it leads the working class to becoming criminal
• Gordon


  With social condition of capitalism, it was surprising the working class didn't commit more crime
• Chambliss


  Saints and Roughnecks - both performed the same but the middle class boys received little consequence for their actions