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Flashcards in Marxism Deck (23)
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1
Q

What are the 3 main elements Marxists say crime is based on?

A
  • criminogenic capitalism
  • the state and law making
  • selective enforcement
2
Q

According to Marxists who is criminogenic and what does it mean?

A
  • capitalism is criminogenic

- it’s in its nature to cause crime

3
Q

What causes w/c to commit crime according to criminogenic capitalism?

A
  • poverty: only way to obtain consumer goods advertised by capitalism is theft
  • alienation / lack of control: leads to frustration which leads to vandalism
4
Q

What cause m/c to commit crime according to criminogenic capitalism?

A
  • capitalism is a dog eat dog system
  • promotes competition among capitalists
  • profit motive encourages a mentality of greed
  • this leads to white collar crime and corporate crime e.g tax evasion
5
Q

What did Gordon say about criminogenic capitalism?

A

Gorden (1976):

“Crime is a rational response to the capitalist system and is found in all social classes”

6
Q

Who are the key Marxists that argue state and law making?

A
  • Chambliss (1975)

- Snider (1993)

7
Q

What does William Chambliss argue about the state and law making?

A
  • laws are to protect private property
  • these are the cornerstone of the capitalism
  • ruling class have power to prevent introducing new laws
  • these laws could threaten their wealth
  • there are few laws that seriously challenge the unequal distribution of wealth
8
Q

What does Laureen snider argue about the state and law making?

A
  • capitalist societies reluctant to pass laws that threaten wealth
  • laws are written to not prevent large profits of so that rich can avoid
  • big companies are necessary for capitalist societies so given concessions to benefit them
  • corporate crime is more costly for society than w/c crimes
9
Q

What 2 key theories argue selective enforcement?

A
  • Reiman (2001)

- Gordon (1976)

10
Q

What does Reiman argue about selective enforcement?

A
  • street crimes e.g theft are more reported and investigated that corporate crime e.g fraud
  • the more likely a higher class crime is committed the less likely it’s treated as criminal
  • greater policing and more police confrontation among w/c, youths and blacks
11
Q

What does Gordon argue about selective enforcement?

A
  • helps maintain ruling class power
  • reinforces ruling class ideology
  • gives impression criminals are mainly w/c
  • encourages w/c to blame criminals for their problems rather than capitalism
12
Q

What the key case study for Marxism and crime?

A

Monsanto milk production

13
Q

Who research the Monsanto case study?

A
  • Fox News presenters
  • Jane Akre
  • Steve Wilson
14
Q

What was found by the researchers about Monsanto?

A
  • hormone BHG injected to cows to produce more milk
  • BHG contaminated milk
  • could case colon and breast cancer
  • not properly tested by drug company
  • Canadian government recorded an attempted bribery from Monsanto
  • Monsanto lawyers prevented story
  • sacked and released story else where
  • ended up in court
15
Q

Why are Fox News reluctant to produce story?

A
  • fear of being sued

- afraid of losing advertising profits from Monsanto

16
Q

How did Florida support the drug company?

A
  • denied Jane her whistle blower claim

- said falsifying News was legal

17
Q

How does the media manipulate the audience?

A
  • gatekeepers choose what we are

- hypodermic needle

18
Q

Why did the case take so long to go to court?

A
  • fox made journalists alter draft 83 times

- company stalled until their contracts ended so they could fire them

19
Q

What are the ideological functions of crime?

A
  • laws appears to benefit w/c e.g health and safety

Pearce (1976):

  • laws that appear to benefit w/c also benefit bourgeoise
  • gives capitalism a caring face
  • keeps proletariat in false class consciousness
20
Q

What is the RSA and ISA?

A

Althusser:
- RSA and ISA operate to maintain bourgeoise power

RSA:

  • physical force
  • cohersion
  • army, politicians, police, judiciary

ISA:

  • keep us in false class consciousness
  • used unwritten rules
  • religion, family, education
21
Q

What are the strengths of Marxists?

A
  • explains why both w/c and u/c commit crime
  • explains utilitarian crime
  • blames the system not p
  • highlights link between laws making and capitalist society
  • highlights link between labelling with selective laws making
  • explains how institutions work to benefit bourgeoise
  • explains relation between crime and capitalism
22
Q

How do feminists criticise Marxism?

A
  • crimes aren’t due to capitalism

- they’re to exert patriarchal dominance and women commit crime out of frustration to oppression

23
Q

What are the weaknesses of Marxism?

A
  • feminism
  • not all w/c commit crime (deterministic)
  • Scandinavian societies are capitalist but don’t have high crime rates
  • ignores ethnic/gender difference
  • companies don’t always get away with it e.g compensation
  • ignores interclass crime