Marxist Theories of Crime
The Marxist perspective on crime laws posits that the state serves as a tool for the ruling class to protect their interests. This view argues that the ruling class has the power to define crime and create laws that safeguard their private property.
Definition: The Repressive State Apparatus RSA functions as a unified entity, while the Ideological State Apparatus ISA is diverse and plural in function.
Althusser's 1971 key ideas suggest that laws are enforced and legitimized through both repressive and ideological state apparatuses. The repressive state apparatus in criminology includes institutions that enforce laws directly, while the ideological state apparatus works to maintain the dominant ideology.
Highlight: Laws reflect ruling class interests and serve to control and suppress the working class, reinforcing the dominant ideology.
Neo-Marxism crime and deviance approach breaks away from traditional Marxist theories, presenting a less deterministic view of crime and deviance. Taylor, Walton, and Young emphasize that individuals make choices to commit crimes, and it's crucial to consider the roles of individuals, media, police, and society in understanding criminal behavior.
Example: The Neo Marxism crime and deviance Sociology approach considers how capitalist inequality contributes to crime while also acknowledging that criminals actively choose to break the law.
Similarities between Neo-Marxism and traditional Marxism include:
- Capitalist inequality is key to understanding crime wealthandpowerdynamics
- Crime can lead to liberation from capitalism
- The ruling class will always attempt to restore hegemony in times of social unrest
Differences in the Neo marxism crime and deviance approach include:
- Criminals are seen as active agents who choose to break the law
- Crime is viewed as a meaningful act, requiring a broader perspective rather than a deterministic and simplistic approach
Vocabulary: Marxist philosophy or theory refers to works strongly influenced by Karl Marx's materialistic approach or written by Marxists. Key characteristics include materialism and commitment to political practice as the end goal of all thought.
Marx argued that throughout history, society has transformed from feudal to capitalist, based on two social classes: the ruling class bourgeoisie who own the means of production, and the working class proletariat who are exploited. This fundamental class struggle forms the basis for understanding crime and deviance from a Marxist perspective.
