Using material from item A and elsewhere, assess different Marxist views of the relationship between crime and social class. (21) The traditional Marxists believe that the main cause of crime is the capitalist society. They believe that crime is inevitable because capitalism is criminogenic, by it’s very nature it causes crime. David Gordon argues that crime is a rational response to the capitalist system and hence it is found in all social classes, even thought the statistics make it seem to be a largely working class phenomenon,. Poverty may mean that crime is the only way that the working class can survive, as crime may e the only way that they can obtain the consumer goods encouraged by the capitalist advertising, resulting in utilitarian crimes such as theft.
Their function is to serve ruling-class interests and maintain the capitalist economy. For traditional Marxists, the structure of capitalist society explains crime. Their view of crime has three main elements: firstly criminogenic capitalism, secondly the state and law making, and thirdly ideological functions of crime and law. Through the Marxist perspective, as Item A configures, crime is not the fault of the individual but is linked to their social position and the unequal distribution of wealth in society. A particular Marxist view of the relationship between crime and social class is known as criminogenic capitalism.
Society as a whole is more and more splitting up into two great hostile camps, into two great classes directly facing each other: Bourgeoisie and Proletariat” (Marx and Engels 1848). Social class, therefore, is based upon economic criteria and conflict occurs between those who own the means of production (bourgeoisie) and the wage-labourers (proletariat). As well as having economic control over the proletariat, the bourgeoisie also have the power to determine the superstructure; the ruling class can distort perceptions of the world and hide the true nature of social relationships and the exploitation of the proletariat and, above all, promote bourgeoisie interests. Marx defines production as workers selling their labour for wages in order to exchange money for commodities that will meet their most basic needs. As Marx
The working class want the ‘things’ that they see the middle classes with but they can't afford them so they resort to crimes such as stealing as a means of getting what they want. The explanation the marxists would give about the cause of crime is the working class fighting back against oppression and making their own means of acquiring wealth and the life of luxury. Marxists have many explanations of what causes crime, Traditional Marxists say that capitalism causes crime, the term we use for this is criminogenic capitalism. Crime is created by the structure of the capitalist society, the ruling class exploit the working class as they own the means of production. The working class gain a desire for material things, but breaking the law may be the only way that they can acquire the consumer good that they desire.
Asses different Marxist views of the relationship between crime and social class (21 marks) A traditional Marxist theory explains that the workings of society can be explained by the concept of exploitation, such as the exploitation of the proletariat and the bourgeoisie, this was the starting foundation of Chambliss theory to exploring the relationship between class and crime. The traditional Marxist view to crime is that the criminal law justice system is extremely beneficial to the ruling class. The dominant ideology of the ruling classes is disseminated through agencies such as, education, media, and religion which is forced onto individuals, this process is known as hegemony. Capitalism is based on consumerism, selfishness and competition therefore crime can be considered a normal outcome of these values which stress looking after one self at the expense of others, in other words even though capitalist benefit most out of the criminal justice system if we look at their personality traits and the whole concept of capitalism it is more likely that upper class people in this business have the ability to commit such crimes as they are used to using the motto, every man for them self. Marxist theory provides an explanation of how crime is dealt with in society, in order to maintain the status quo.
This is due to the working class having a lack of access to things such as Education. This means that they cannot achieve the mainstream goals set by the middle classes. This can lead to things such as status frustration, and rebellion against traditional middle class values. This theory is useful because it offers an explanation of crime that is not fuelled by a monetary gain, for example abuse or rape. This is known as Non-Utilitarian crime.
However subcultural theorists developed this idea claiming that people experiencing strain seek different forms of success. More specifically Cloward and Ohlin put forward the idea of the 'illegitimate opportunity structure’, which they used to explain subcultural crime. This structure was operable outside of the mainstream structure and ultimately lead to the attainment of success and money through deviant means. For example, Cloward and Ohlin argued that organized crimes such as the drugs trade could be explained by failures in mainstream capitalism. Cloward and Ohlin argue, that the majority of criminals involved in the drugs trade were unable to succeed within capitalism and were driven to an illegitimate means of obtaining wealth.
However evidence shows that criminals are most likely to come from the working class, the young and the black community. Marxists also talk about law creation; they say law is a reflection of the will of the powerful. They believe that the rich are able to manipulate the rest of us and pass laws which benefit them they do this in two ways. The first way being through setting the agenda, this means that the debate on law and order is conducted in a frame work of values sympathetic to the ruling class. The second way is through pressure group activity, law changes are often a result from pressure group lobbying by the government.
General Strain Theory Can were on lives or the lack of money cause someone to commit a crime? Or can the stress of losing someone trigger so many emotions that it will cause someone to kill in revenge? According to the General Strain Theory this may be the case. Criminology today an integrative introduction defines Strain as the pressure that individuals feel to reach socially determined goals (Schmalleger, 2012, p.157). General Strain Theory is considered to be a social structure theory which looks at the formal and informal economic and social arrangements (or structure) of society as the root causes of crime and deviance (Schmalleger, 2012, p.151).
This theory was made well-liked to people by Karl Marx and Friedrich in their Communist Manifesto, 1848. So it clarifies that in Communism people will have no personal possession to the properties and the society should be equal. The people known as Anti-communists are actually defined for their position in opposition to Communism rather than their deeds and initiatives. These people say that the way of life in Communism is not accepted by anyone as a good one. Anyone alone may say that the way defined in Communism is a wrong way to lead a life and controlling life of someone living in the interior of a specific state is not correct either.