Neo-Marxism/ Critical Criminology/ Radical Criminology Flashcards
What two most prominent sociological theories did Taylor, Walton and Young fuse in their ‘fully’ social theory of deviance?
- Marxism
- Interactionism
What are the Marxist aspects of the model?
- the wider origins of the act (ie. wider social system, assessing way wealth and power is distributed)
- the wider origins of the deviant reaction (ie. the immediate reaction located within the wider social system)
What are the Interactionist aspects of the model?
- immediate origins of the act (ie. particular social circumstances within which individuals choose to commit crime)
- the actual act (ie. meaning and significance for the person)
- the immediate origins of the social reaction (ie. immediate reaction within wider social system)
- the outcomes of the social reaction (effects of labelling)
What seventh aspect of the model is there?
- nature of deviant process as whole
Within Hall et al’s study ‘Policing the Crisis’ what did they attempt to do?
- develop a ‘fully’ social theory of mugging
- study of moral panic of mugging
- origins and nature
- social reaction
- distribution of power in society
How do Hall et al depart company from other Marxists?
- rejecting the idea that crimes are political acts due to a large amount of victims of street crime being from a similarly disadvantaged background
Outline the narrative of what happened with the moral panic of mugging
- 1970s
- papers filled with dramatic stories of mugging
- report that 129% increase in muggings over previous few years
- calls for tough crackdown
- most papers implied muggers were predominantly young black males
Why did Hall et al reject the view that the moral panic was an inevitable and understandable reaction?
- mugging was not a new phenomenon
- it was not on the increase - 129% added together various street crimes
What explanation did Hall et al provide for the origin of the moral panic?
- problems faced by British capitalism (ie. economic crisis, crisis of hegemony)
- ideological control over sections of society seemed to be weakening
- government turned to force
- mugging presented as key element in breakdown in law and order
- violence portrayed as threat to society
- black mugger symbolised this threat
- problems deflected from capitalism
What were the results of the moral panic?
- greatly increased police force in inner cities (operating forcibly against young black males)
- police amplified/ made worse the deviance they were supposed to be controlling
- social reaction led to labelling of large numbers of young black males
- in turn justified strong police measures
What are the key ideas of Taylor et al?
- capitalism is based on exploitation and extreme inequalities
- states makes/ enforces laws in interests of capitalist class and criminalises members of wc
- we should have a classless society
How and why do they critique Marxism?
- see Marxism as economically deterministic
- don’t accept that there’s a simple and straightforward relationship between infrastructure and crime
What do neo-Marxists try to analyse?
- social and economic forces that compel people into crime, with a study of the individual motives too
(Although some don’t) Many emphasise crime is politically motivated. How do they explain this?
- see lot of wc criminals as ‘modern-day Robin Hoods’ who steal from rich to give to poor
- vandalism - sign of marking possession, symbolic for marking territory for those without property
What does Taylor et al believe about criminals?
- they are not passive puppets, they are deliberately striving to change society
