Neo-Marxist

• What does Fully Social Theory mean?

  Fully Social Theory means a comprehensive understanding of crime and deviance for the betterment of society
• In what three ways does Neo-Marxism agree with traditional Marxism?

  • Capitalism is based on exploitation and class conflict and understanding this is key to understanding crime.
  • The state creates and enforces laws for the benefit of the ruling class.
  • Capitalism should be replaced with a classless society where crime would be greatly reduced.
• In what 4 ways can crime be considered Voluntarist ?

  • Criminals make a conscious choice to commit crime (meaningful action.
  • Political motives behind crime.Readdressing inequalities in wealth.
  • Criminals are not passive puppets of capitalism.
  • Free will.
• What are the elements of a fully social theory of crime?

  1 The wider origins of the deviant act.

  2 The immediate origins of the deviant act

  3 The act itself.

  4 The immediate origins of the social reaction

  5 The wider origins d of social reaction.

  6 The effect of labelling.
• What’s the elements of a fully social theory of crime applied to Hall (1978) Policing the crisis ?

  1 The 1970’s was a time of social crisis.

  2 Inner city riots, conflict in NI, strikes.

  3 Mugging – police suggest more likely to be carried out by African Caribbean men.

  4 Media outrage at muggings

  Racism in the MET police

  5 The need to find a scapegoat & ease with which African Caribbean men could be blamed.

  6 Sense of injustice amongst EM, loss of confidence in the criminal justice system by EM
• How does Rock evaluate neo-Marxists theories?

  Rock 1988: Gives an overly romantic view of criminals, Robin Hoods who are fighting an unjust system.

  Left Realism points out the a majority of crime is against he working class by the working class.
• How does hirst evaluate neo-Marxists theories?

  Hirst 1975: Regards Neo-Marxism as having strayed too far from traditional Marxism to be considered linked.
• How does feminists criticise neo-Marxism?

  Gender blind theory – applies the same explanations to both men and women despite it being made clear that men and women generally have different motivations to criminal activity.
• How is not all crime politically motivated an evaluation?

  Not all crime are politically motivated, for example domestic violence and rape are not political motivated or a reaction to capitalist inequalities. Right realists argue that crime is opportunistic rather than a reaction to perceived injustice.
• What’s another evaluation of the neo-Marxist approach?

  Theory is overly idealistic and difficult to apply to real life. Hall was the closest but this still isn’t a perfect fit and contains a lot of conjecture.