Crime (CLASS, POWER & CRIME)
General
Marxists believe crime inevitable in capitalist society because poverty and greed encouraged. All classes commit crime, but w/c criminalised for actions because the r/c enforce laws in own interests. White collar and corporate crime is often ignored.
Marxism - Criminogenic capitalism
Capitalism is criminogenic by its nature - it causes crime. Poverty (caused by capitalism) means crime is only way w/c survive and obtain consumerism encouraged by capitalist ads. Results in utilitarian crimes like theft. Alienation leads to frustration, results in non-utilitarian crimes like violence and vandalism.
Marxism - CHAMBLISS
Says that laws to protect private property are part of the capitalist economy.
Marxism - SNIDER
Argues that capitalist state is reluctant to pass laws that regulate businesses or threaten their profitability.
Marxism - Selective Enforcement
All classes commit crime but the criminal justice system selectively enforces. The W/C and ethnic minorities are criminalised, and the police and court ignore crimes of the powerful.
Marxism - PEARCE - Ideological Functions
Pearce - The state enforces laws selectively, aimed at crimanalising the w/c. This leads workers to blame their peers (criminals) for problems, not capitalism. Giving capitalism a 'caring face'.
Neo-marxism - TAYLOR
Crime is a meaningful and conscious action. Crime often has a political motive (for instance, to redistribute wealth from the rich to poor). Criminals aren't passive puppets whose behaviour is shaped by capitalism: they are deliberately striving to change society.
Neo-Marxism - TAYLOR - 6 parts to understanding crime in society
1) Wider origins of the deviant act.
2) Immediate origins of the deviant act.
3) The act itself - its meaning.
4) Immediate origins of social reaction.
5) The wider origins of societal reaction.
6) The effects of labelling.
White Collar crime - REIMAN & LEIGHTON
When high-class people commit crime, its less likely to be treated as an offence. Higher rate of prosecutions for ‘street crimes’ by poor people (burglary and assault). Crimes by higher classes (tax evasion) more likely to get a forgiving view from the CJS.
Corporate crime - TOMBS
Corporate crime has enormous costs: physical (deaths, injuries, illnesses), environmental (pollution) and economic (to consumers, workers, taxpayers and governments).
Why is corporate crime invisible?
- Media coverage (limited coverage, focus on w/c crime).
- Lack of political will to tackle it (politicians being ‘tough on crime’ only applies to street crime).
- Crimes are complex (law enforcers are often understaffed, under-resourced and lack tech).
- Delabelling (corporate crime is filtered out from criminalisation).
- Under-reported (individuals unaware they have been victimised).
Explanations of corporate crime - BOX
If a company can't achieve goal of maximising profit by legal means, it may employ illegal ones instead.
Differential Association - SUTHERLAND
Crime is a behaviour learned from others socially. The less we associate with people who beleive in the law and the more we associate with people with criminal attitudes, the more likely we are to become deviant ourselves.
Labelling theory - CICOUREL
Typically, w/c more likely to have actions labelled as criminal. M/c able to negotiate criminal labels with their behaviour.