neo-marxism: critical criminology

neo-marxism: critical criminology

1. neo marxism is based on marxism but combined with areas of labelling theory.

2. taylor et al

   • agree with marxists that
     • capitalist society is based on exploitation and conflict and understanding this is the key to understading crime
     • the state makes and enforces laws in the interest of the RC
     • capitaism should be replaced by a classless society

3. anti determinism

   • taylor et al
     • marxism is deterministic as it sees workers committing crime out of economic necessity. this rejects the explanation of external factors such as anomie, subcultures and labelling
     • theyu take a more voluntaristic view- free will. they see crime as a meaningful action and a conscious choice. they argue crime is often a political motive- redistribute wealth from the rich to the poor. criminals are not passive puppets whose behaviour is shaped by capitalism: they are deliberately acting to change society

4. a fully social theory of deviance

   • taylor et al
     • aim to craete a fully social theory of deviance- a comprehensive understanding to help change society for the better
     • this theory would have 2 main sources
       • marxist ideas about the unequal distribution of wealth and who has the power to make and enforce the law
       • ideas from interactionism and labelling about the meaning of the deviant act for the actor and societal reactions to it. also the effects of the label on the deviant
     • they say a complete theory of deviance should unite 6 aspects
       • the wider origins of the deviant act
         • e.g. unequal distribution of wealth
       • the immediate origins of the deviant act
         • the context in which the individual decides to commit the crime
       • the act itself
         • and its meaning to the actor
       • the immediate origins of social interaction
         • the reaction of those around the deviant, e.g. police. family and community, to discovering the deviance
       • the wider origins of the social reaction
         • in the structure of capitalist society- especially the issue of who has the power to define the actions as deviant and to label others and why some acts are treated more harshly
       • the effects of labelling
         • on future actions
   • to understand crime all these areas must be understood together as part of a unified theory

5. evaluation

   • feminists say it is gender blind
   • left realists
     • romanticises w/c crime as robin hoods
     • they ignore crimes effects on working class victims
   • burke
     • critical criminology is too general to explaine and too idealistic to use to tackle crime
   • taylor et al have all changed their views
     • however, walton and young defend some aspects
       • the book combated correctionalist bias
       • the book laid the foubdations for later radical appraoches to seek to establish a more just society.
         • left realism
         • feminist