Crime and Deviance: Marxism and Neo-Marxism

 Marxism and Neo-Marxism
Marxism

Marxists argue that there are four elements to crime:

1. Bourgeoisie write the law.                                                                                                 Box: Argues that the Bourgeoisie also do things wrong but their activity is seen as immoral, whereas the Proletariats activity is seen as criminal. The law is written so that the Bourgeoisie do not get punished. 
2. Selective law enforcement.                                                                                  Chambliss: Argues that the role of the CJS is to crush any resistance and prevent a revolution. It sends a message to the Proletariat that if they rebel they will get punished. 
3. Capitalism is criminogenic.                                                                                           Bonger: Argues that Capitalism makes crime inevitable, it makes people commit crime.                                                                                                                   Gordon: Argues that the nature of Capitalism will always cause crime, society forces people to commit crime through greed and inequality. It socialises people to be selfish and commit crime. If people fail to obtain the things they want then they will get angry and commit violent crimes. 
4. Crime diverts our attention.                                                                                    People are fearful of crime (ie. terrorism) and therefore they don't think about their exploitation. The fear of being a victim of crime distracts them and therefore the Bourgeoisie don't seem so evil. 

Dick Hebdige: 'Resistance theory'. Argues that subcultures exist to contrast with the norms of Capitalism and are showing their resistance. 

Althusser: Argues that the CJS uses the ideological state apparatus and the repressive state apparatus. It controls people through fear and teaches norms and values. 

Dr Phil Hadfield: Argues that the Bourgeoisie have used intense marketing of new industries (ie. the alcohol industry). The Bourgeoisie have made this a norm so that the Proletariat spend all their money. This creates 'drinking circuits' such as pub crawls that back up the new norm. The impact of this drinking culture on things such as the perception of youth and peoples health can result in violent crimes. 

Messner and Rosenfeld: Argue that industrial anomie is inevitable. The social institutions encourage selfish and deviant behaviour. They argue that this causes segregation and conflict as all some people want is power. People are not willing to wait for things, so they do immoral things in order to achieve things. 

New Criminology (Neo-Marxism)

1. Crime is a protest.                                                                                                       Scraton: Argues that crime is a choice and disagrees with Bonger. The people who commit crime are protesting for change in society and want to start a rebellion against the Bourgeoisie and is a symbolic revolt against Capitalism. 
2. Fear of crime used to segregate the Proletariat.                                                              Stuart Hall: Argues that the Bourgeoisie use crime as a tool to segregate the Proletariat and keep them fighting against each other, it will prevent them from banding together and starting a revolution. He argues that racism is created by the Bourgeoisie to make people fear ethnic minorities and not want to revolt against the Bourgeoisie.                                                                                                                 Matthews and Young: Argue that crime is a pointless protest as once caught you get punished and then become unable to make any change to society. 

Theoretical Critiques:

• Realism. 
• Functionalism.
• Radical Feminism.
• Symbolic Interactionism.