Traditional Marxism Traditional Marxism and crime and devianceand crime and deviance

Crime is a Crime is a product of product of povertypoverty

Crime is Crime is brought about brought about by by capitalismcapitalism

MANIPULATION OF MANIPULATION OF VALUESVALUES

ManipulationManipulation of the of the basic valuesbasic values and and morality of a societymorality of a society

Society is Society is dominateddominated and controlled by and controlled by those at the helmthose at the helm

Control is Control is maintained via the maintained via the socialisation process socialisation process and and threatthreat

MANIPULATION OF MANIPULATION OF VALUESVALUES

VALUES OF VALUES OF FREEDOMFREEDOM

SELF-INTERESTSELF-INTEREST

COMPETITIONCOMPETITION

LAW CREATIONLAW CREATION

FunctionalistsFunctionalists: law : law reflects the will of the reflects the will of the peoplepeople

MarxistsMarxists: law is a : law is a reflection of the will of reflection of the will of the powerfulthe powerful

As As economic powereconomic power guarantees guarantees political political and and social powersocial power, the rich , the rich can manipulate the rest can manipulate the rest of us and pass laws that of us and pass laws that benefit thembenefit them

They They ‘set the agenda’‘set the agenda’

LAW CREATIONLAW CREATION Public Order and Criminal Public Order and Criminal

Justice Act (1994)Justice Act (1994) Takes away civil liberties Takes away civil liberties

from the majority and limits from the majority and limits the powers of the protestthe powers of the protest

Since 9/11, a raft of Anti-Since 9/11, a raft of Anti-Terror legislation has been Terror legislation has been enacted, limiting freedoms we enacted, limiting freedoms we once took for granted.once took for granted.

Like the Prevention of Like the Prevention of Terrorism Act (designed to Terrorism Act (designed to combat the IRA during the combat the IRA during the 1970s), it has been enforced 1970s), it has been enforced against many others, against many others, criminalising people engaged criminalising people engaged in simple acts of protest. in simple acts of protest.

LAW ENFORCEMENTLAW ENFORCEMENT

‘‘Street crime’Street crime’ is more is more likely to be pursued by likely to be pursued by police than police than ‘white‘white collar’collar’ crimecrime

Intensified policingIntensified policing and and punishmentpunishment of poorer of poorer individuals and individuals and communitiescommunities

The poor are The poor are filteredfiltered into into the criminal justice the criminal justice system while the rich are system while the rich are filtered outfiltered out

INDIVIDUAL MOTIVATION INDIVIDUAL MOTIVATION FOR CRIMEFOR CRIME

In capitalist societies the In capitalist societies the cultural stress in on cultural stress in on competition,competition, not not cooperation, and the cooperation, and the acquisition of wealthacquisition of wealth

Desire for money can lead Desire for money can lead those who are blocked off those who are blocked off from from legitimate chanceslegitimate chances of gaining wealth to turn of gaining wealth to turn to to criminal methodscriminal methods (anomie)(anomie)

GreedGreed is built into the is built into the capitalist systemcapitalist system

CRITICISMSCRITICISMS

Left idealismLeft idealism

Ignore the Ignore the consequencesconsequences for the for the victims of street victims of street crimecrime

Street crime tends to Street crime tends to be be intra-classintra-class, not , not inter-classinter-class

CRITICISMSCRITICISMS

Seems to suggest that the high Seems to suggest that the high rate of recorded crime among rate of recorded crime among the working class, youth and the working class, youth and blacks is solely the outcome of blacks is solely the outcome of biased policingbiased policing

At the same time they argue At the same time they argue the laws are biased against the laws are biased against the working class, the working class, forcing forcing them into crimethem into crime

Not all laws are in the Not all laws are in the interests of the ruling-class interests of the ruling-class onlyonly

CRITICISMSCRITICISMS

On the one hand it On the one hand it suggests that working-suggests that working-class people are simply class people are simply innocent innocent people who are people who are picked on by the police picked on by the police

On the other hand it On the other hand it suggests that working suggests that working class people who engage class people who engage in crime are really in crime are really engaged in engaged in politicalpolitical action action by opposing the by opposing the capitalist systemcapitalist system

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