Marxist theorists see crime as an indefinite ideology and that it is essentially defined by the ruling class. They believe that in reality, crimes and the so called criminals who commit them are defined by the ruling class therefore the ruling class portray the working class as criminals, the “white collar crimes” that their own class commit are casually ignored. This ruling class use crime as a form of social control, encouraging conformism. If you do not conform, you are punished. Law enforcement and the justice and education systems are intended to encourage conformity.
Marxists also believe that the classes are policed differently. This means that the upper classes don’t get policed much and their criminal activity goes by unnoticed whereas the lower classes are policed thoroughly and their crimes are more often noticed and convicted. On top of this the poor classes do not have the money to be able to afford expensive lawyers, in fact probably no lawyer at all. When accused of a crime, they are simply charged for it. For the ruling class however, a lawyer can be the difference that allows them to be found not guilty of a crime, or crimes that they have in fact committed.
Marx believed that there were two main classes. As far as Marx saw it, the law was just a method of social control for the upper class, allowing them to keep the working class in check. He believed that the laws that defined certain activity as deviant were unjustified as many other activities that were questionable were not considered deviant nor controlled by law.
For a society to function well, social order is a necessity. This social order however benefits the ruling class most. Modern Marxists believe that the media and modern education are socializing agencies which delude the working class into conforming to a social order.
Marxist ideology suggests that Deviance and crime is a result of the imbalance in power between the two classes. That it is an understandable response to their poverty. The Superstructure of society is in favor of the wealthy who control the society. Demeaning work is provided for the poor who turn to crime instead. Crime therefore is not a reason for the need for social order but a symptom of it.
Marxists believe that wealth causes a blind eye to be turned to unlawfulness. This can be true of organized crime where the criminal activity is so profitable that they can afford to bribe and control the law enforcers making sure that their criminal activity goes by unnoticed. Whereas the poor criminals are caught and charged even though their activity costs much less to the state than the criminal activity of the large wealthy criminal organizations such as the Mafia.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Retrieved from http://www.sociology.org.uk/pcdevmx.pdf
2. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/sociologytwynham/marxist-perspectives-of-crime
3. Retrieved from http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/marxism_crime.htm
4. Retrieved from http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/crime_globalisation.htm
5. Retrieved from http://www.marxists.org/
Marxists also believe that the classes are policed differently. This means that the upper classes don’t get policed much and their criminal activity goes by unnoticed whereas the lower classes are policed thoroughly and their crimes are more often noticed and convicted. On top of this the poor classes do not have the money to be able to afford expensive lawyers, in fact probably no lawyer at all. When accused of a crime, they are simply charged for it. For the ruling class however, a lawyer can be the difference that allows them to be found not guilty of a crime, or crimes that they have in fact committed.
Marx believed that there were two main classes. As far as Marx saw it, the law was just a method of social control for the upper class, allowing them to keep the working class in check. He believed that the laws that defined certain activity as deviant were unjustified as many other activities that were questionable were not considered deviant nor controlled by law.
For a society to function well, social order is a necessity. This social order however benefits the ruling class most. Modern Marxists believe that the media and modern education are socializing agencies which delude the working class into conforming to a social order.
Marxist ideology suggests that Deviance and crime is a result of the imbalance in power between the two classes. That it is an understandable response to their poverty. The Superstructure of society is in favor of the wealthy who control the society. Demeaning work is provided for the poor who turn to crime instead. Crime therefore is not a reason for the need for social order but a symptom of it.
Marxists believe that wealth causes a blind eye to be turned to unlawfulness. This can be true of organized crime where the criminal activity is so profitable that they can afford to bribe and control the law enforcers making sure that their criminal activity goes by unnoticed. Whereas the poor criminals are caught and charged even though their activity costs much less to the state than the criminal activity of the large wealthy criminal organizations such as the Mafia.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Retrieved from http://www.sociology.org.uk/pcdevmx.pdf
2. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/sociologytwynham/marxist-perspectives-of-crime
3. Retrieved from http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/marxism_crime.htm
4. Retrieved from http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/crime_globalisation.htm
5. Retrieved from http://www.marxists.org/