Marxists Theories of Crime

Question 1

What do Marxists argue about crime in a capitalist society?

Answer 1

Crime is inevitable in a capitalist society

Ignores crime by both the RC and subject class

RC - corporate crime to improve profit
SC - utilitarian crime as a survival strategy, non-utilitarian crime due to exploitation

Question 2

How do Marxists argue about rules in a capitalist society?

Answer 2

Laws are created by the RC to reflect their interests e.g. laws about private property

Laws may be blocked if they are seen as a threat to the interests of the RC

Laws may have an ideological purpose to make the SC think the RC care about them e.g. health and safety laws

Question 3

What do Marxists argue about selective policing and law enforcement in a capitalist society?

Answer 3

Laws are enforced selectively

Traditional lower class crimes are ruthlessly pursued but RC crimes are often ignored which helps make crime appear to be a WC phenomenon

Question 4

What are the positive criticisms of Marxist views of crime?

Answer 4

Looks at crime in the wider context of capitalism and considers who makes, enforces and benefits from laws

Examines corporate crime and sees them as crimes rather than accidents

Question 5

What are the criticisms of Marxists views of crime?

Answer 5

Too deterministic - not all RC or SC will turn to crime

Some capitalist societies like Switzerland and Japan have low rates of crime

Marxists tend to ignore victims of crime

Corporate crimes do get prosecuted

Left realists argue Marxists ignore intra-class crime i.e. WC crime is against the WC