Marxist Explanations

• Marxist explanations


  Focus on the unequal distribution of power and how this creates structural inequality between the bourgeoisie (ruling class) and the proletariat (working class)
• Law creation


  • The ruling class uses its power to influence politicians to pass laws that benefit them, such as protecting private property
• Law enforcement


  • The ruling class controls the criminal justice system, leading to disproportionate focus on working-class crime while ignoring white-collar and corporate crime
• Role of capitalism


  • Capitalism is criminogenic - it generates false needs through advertising, creates deprivation by keeping wages low, and leads to corporate crime as companies seek to maximise profits
• Maximise profits


  Business owners must look to minimise their costs
• Wages


  One of the easiest costs for business owners to control
• Business owners try to keep wages as low as possible

  This leads to deprivation
• Deprivation


  One of the key factors in why people commit crime, if they cannot make ends meet
• Reserve army of labour

  People who are unemployed or underemployed, which can keep wages low as people are less likely to ask for more money if they could be replaced by somebody doing the job cheaper
• This also creates deprivation
• Corporate crime


  One aspect of capitalism is the competition between different companies to maximise profits and provide a positive return for their shareholders
• How companies cut costs

  1. Cutting corners on building work

  2. Not adhering to health and safety and employment legislation

  3. Moving production to areas of the world where there are less environmental protections
• Marxists argue that despite the existence of corporate crime, many firms get away with these breaches of the law, or face fines rather than people being imprisoned for their actions
• Agenda-setting


  The media are able to select stories that represent the ruling class as law-abiding and the working class as ignorant, aggressive and deviant
• Owners of the media

  Less likely to report on the crimes of the powerful as it may cause lost advertising revenue
• Marxist explanations can be seen to be relevant in that most recorded crime is committed by those in the lower social classes, thus explaining the impact of deprivation on levels of criminality
• Marxist explanations fail to recognise that laws protect all members of society, including employment and health and safety legislation
• Marxist explanations fail to acknowledge the changing face of the media, with an increased focus on the crimes and deviant behaviour of those in elite positions
• Police are reliant upon members of the public reporting crimes, and they focus their resources on those areas where there are higher levels of crime
• Marxists would criticise this point, suggesting that the complexity of white-collar crime means that many people are unaware that they are victims