Using material from item B and elsewhere assess the usefulness of Marxist approaches in explaining crime Marxism is a conflict theory established by Karl Marx. Marxists believe that the capitalist system is just a way in which the ruling classes (the bourgeoisie) control and exploit the workers (the proletariat), and it focuses on the unequal conflict between these two sectors of society. Marxists believe that the capitalist system is criminogenic – which means that by its nature it inevitably causes crime. As item B states, Marxists see crime in the capitalist system as ‘a tool of the ruling class’ where they can control the working class and crime is an unavoidable result because of the oppression the working class are subject to. They also believe that laws are enforced mostly to benefit the interests of the ruling class.
Within these societies people would fight for ownership of land. Eventually the feudalistic society will give way to what Karl Marx called capitalism, where a society is driven by money. Karl Marx was a famous sociologist and well known for his studies on social class. His name is where we get the term Marxism from. He looked to overthrow the capitalist system in favour of the structuralist approach (Perry, 2009).
Competition also creates companies to drive down wages, as they will wish to make their products at the lowest cost they can, this alienating the working class and causing them to become impoverished. Marx is often criticised as his two-class system is often seen as too simplistic. Weber divides the proletariat into skilled and unskilled class, and includes white-collar proletariat and small bourgeoisies. Marx believes that capitalism sows
This essay will examine some of the differences between marxist and functionalist perspectives when it comes to crime and deviance. From a traditional marxist perspective capitalism is an economic system based on an unequal system between two classes. This system will always benefit the bourgeoisie due to them owning the means of production including land, machinery, businesses and factories, these are all things that provide a wage or means of living to the proletariat. Working under capitalism exploits the proletariat as workers are often paid minimum wage, the ruling class dictate the working conditions and whether the working class will be hired or fired. Crime and deviance is defined by the ruling class to protect their own interests.
In recent times, there is a growing concern of wealth inequality in America. This has really drawn criticism and challenge to capitalism as the model of socio-economic structure. Debates surrounding this issue are often traditionally addressed through two models: communism and capitalism. Karl Marx, in his work, “The Communist Manifesto,” criticizes capitalism for it’s preaching of individualism and competition, which leads to the exploitation of the working class thus resulting in further antagonization between socio-economic classes. Marx ends his criticism by offering up the complete abandonment of capitalist system in favor of a communistic system in which socio-economic autonomy is in the hands of the state.
And of course none of these are good escape routes from poverty and we all believe in the term "poverty causes crime". But it’s not always the poor who commits crime. Mostly the poor or the middle class people will go after crimes to fulfill their temporary desires. For example raping, stealing and sometimes murder too. Since the low class poor people are not usually educated, they often easily “pushed” into the crimes by the high class people.
Believers and people who practice both socialism and capitalism have heavy criticism of each other. Socialists for example believe that Capitalists produce a system where there is a clear distinction among the rich and the poor. The system is believed to encourage exploitation of workers, so that the business owners become wealthy. These business owners are the ones in many cases who influence policies, by using their wealth to getting what they want, by funding political campaigns, for example. Capitalists, on the other hand, believe that Socialists deny people their basic rights of freedom of decisions and opportunities.
However, could there be an actual connection between Marxism and criminology? Critical criminologists believe that the upper classes always decide what a crime is and how it will be punished. They use the justice system to control the lower classes and prevent them from gaining power. They feel that many justice systems are unfair for that reason. That's why critical criminologists concentrate on different areas like postmodern structures and capitalism and their effects or relationships with crime and justice systems.
It stretches the line between the rich and the poor, creating class struggles and inequality. However, capitalism is known as lasissez-faire capitalism, which means the government doesn’t interfere in the market. Which is not the case in the U.S.? Capitalism is welfare or state capitalism, where private citizens own the means of production and pursue of profits. But they do so by a vest system of laws to protect the population.
"The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins portrays a futuristic society set in a post-apocalyptic world; the novel exemplifies the perversion of Karl Marx's theory known as Marxism and the struggles between social classses. Collins shows the various ways in which a communistic society can be corrupted. It is human nature, to be greedy, selfish, lazy, and decietful; this is what ultimately forces Marxism to be an impossibility. A communistic based society would have no need for government simply because each individual would be more than willing to live their life according to the laws and ideas of Marxism. There would be a much greater chance of success for communism, if the location/environment was smaller and consisted solely of those in complete non-forceful compliance.