Neo-Marxism And Crime!

Neo-Marxism And Crime!

1. SNIDER (1993) The Politics Of Corporate Crime Control: ~ The capitalist state uses money to try and attract investment from corporations through cheaper loans, grants, and through the production of an ever increasing infrastructure. (Investment is in business rather than the individuals that comprise the workforce) ~ Therefore the capitalist state is reluctant to enforce laws relating to health and safety, workers rights and pollution. ~ Whilst legislation is introduced to protect the consumer much of the legislation serves the interest of the ruling class!

2. Taylor, Walton and Young (1973) The New Criminology: ~ To understand crime there is a need for a fully social theory of deviance. Seven factors to always be considered: ~ Need to investigate the wider origins of the deviant act. Crime and deviance should not simply be understood in terms of rapid social change in industrial society. ~ An adequate theory must explain how structure (social) creates deviant acts. How deviance is interpreted, reacted against, and how the choice of deviant is made. ~ The deviant act itself - Relationships between belief and action. People make rational choices through the opportunities they have. Explanations should therefore consider choices and constraints. ~ Have to consider origins of social reaction. Deviant actions are rational, so is social reaction. ~ Look at the wider origins of the deviant act. Widely held views may be being challenged thus leading to a moral panic. Moral panic occurs to control the level of deviance often via moral crusades.

   • Understand the reactions between social reaction and the deviants commitment to further deviant acts. The effects of sanctions. The deviants consciousness of possible reactions. ~ Nature of deviant process must be located within the contradictions evident within the capitalist means of production. ~ Any theory not committed to the abolition of wealth and power is not committed to the alleviation of poverty and negative life chances and is bound to fall into correctionalism deviance theory must break with correctionalism.