Download marxism ws

A2 Sociology Marxism and Crime
A Questions
1. Why does Marxism see crime as a likely feature of the capitalist system?
2. What evidence is provided by traditional Marxists that there is one rule for the
rich and another for the poor?
3. What criticisms can be addressed at the traditional Marxist approach to crime?
Vocabulary
Proletariat – the word Marx used for the working class.
White-collar – referring to middle class and above.
Corporate crime – illegal activities committed by firms and big businesses.
B Questions
1. In what ways can businesses be seen to be treated leniently when they break
the law?
2. Is there evidence that businesses put profit before workers and the public’s
safety?
3. How is globalisation shifting corporate crime away from the developed world?
4. What criticisms can be directed at Marxist ideas about corporate crime?
Vocabulary
Corporate crime – crimes committed by businesses against their employees, the public
or the environment.
White-collar crime – term coined by Edwin H. Sutherland to refer to occupational and
corporate crime.
Law evasion – firms like to appear law abiding but will locate in countries with soft
enforcement of health and safety and pollution laws.
C Questions
1. How is Taylor Walton and Young’s theory different to traditional Marxism?
2. What other sociological theories of crime could be linked to this theory?
3. What criticisms can be directed at the ideas of The New Criminology?
Vocabulary
Neo-Marxists – literally means new Marxists or people who adopt a Marxist
interpretation of contemporary society.
Strain theory – theory of crime based on how the strain between sharing the goals of
society but not having the means of achieving them.
A2 Sociology Marxism and Crime
D Questions
1. How did Marxist subcultural theory explain how capitalism exerted social
control on the population?
2. What are the similarities and differences between Marxist subcultural theory
and functionalist subcultural theory (Albert Cohen, Cloward and Ohlin and
Miller)?
3. What criticisms can be made about Marxist sub cultural theory?
Vocabulary
Left realism – contemporary theory of criminology developed by Lea and Young, partly
out of Marxist criminology and partly as a response to New Right (Right Realism)
criticisms of the sociology of crime.
Use the following terms to fill the appropriate gaps in the text.
capitalist; Chambliss; corporate; Croall; fully; Hadfield; idealism; Pearce; political;
Snider; social; white;
Traditionally the Marxist perspective on crime and deviance has sought to see crime in
the context of the _______________ system. Marxists criticise other sociologists
for identifying crime as a working class phenomenon arguing that this obscures the
huge amount of _______________ collar and _______________ crime that exists.
Hazel _______________ (1992) notes how corporate crime is 'softened' through the
use of words like 'fiddles', 'cons' and 'rip-offs', whilst Lauren _______________
argues governments are reluctant to pass laws that threaten the profitability of
companies. The American Marxist William _______________ identified connections in
the city of Seattle between organized crime and the political and economic élite in
society. Frank _______________ similarly argues that members of the social élite
would not creditably survive close legal scrutiny of their business or professional lives.
Taylor, Walton and Young (1973) developed in The New Criminology a radical
alternative to previous theories of crime. They saw criminal activity as
_______________, as an act of 'people-fighting-back' against the injustices of
capitalism. In the final chapter they discussed the concept of 'the _______________
_______________ theory of deviance'. However, in hindsight, Jock Young would
subsequently describe his work with Radical Criminology as ‘Left _______________’.
Marxism still has many supporters and writers like Phil _______________ with his
study of the nocturnal economy show how the profit motive can be a key factor behind
criminal statistics.