CRITICAL CRIMINOLOGY

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CRITICAL CRIMINOLOGY
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AIMS

• To understand the critical criminological or
  Marxist approach.
• To examine how this approach has changed and
  developed over time.

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THE TRADITIONAL MARXIST APPROACH

• Marx write very little about crime.
• Marxist views of crime developed by others, eg
  Bonger (1916) Chambliss (1975).
• Based on the belief that society is based on
  exploitation.

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THE BASIS OF CRIMINAL LAW

• All laws are for the benefit of the ruling class
  and reflects their interests.
• Property law benefits the rich as the poor have
  little worth stealing.
• Violence is not allowed, but the army and the
  police use violence to keep the ruling class
  secure.

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THE DOMINANT HEGEMONY

• Ruling class impose their values through
  religion, education, media.
• This forms the framework on which new laws are
  created.
• What people believe are a result of their own
  beliefs are the result of beliefs imposed upon
  them.

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LAW ENFORCEMENT

• The interpretation and enforcement of the law are
  also biased towards the ruling class.
• Police and judicial system more likely to act
  against working class than ruling class.

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INDIVIDUAL MOTIVATION

• Capitalism is based on competition, greed and
  selfishness.
• Crime is a direct result of the values held by
  people in a capitalist society.
• Poor people also driven to crime by their poor
  conditions.

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CRIME CONTROL

• Crime provokes fear in communities.
• This is used to justify the use of heavy policing
  in working-class areas.
• This can lead to the arrests of any sections of
  the population who are against capitalism.

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VAGRANCY LAWS

• Chambliss studied vagrancy laws.
• Claimed they were passed to support the ruling
  class by preventing people moving to another
  place and looking for higher wages.
• The laws were justified by the government who
  said they were to provide protection against
  vagrants.

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CRITICISMS

• What about the victims of crime? They tend to be
  ignored.
• All laws are seen to be the result of the ruling
  class what about other influences on law-making?

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THE NEW CRIMINOLOGY

• Taylor, Walton Young (1973)
• Cant just look at motivation and influences of
  the criminal.
• Must see how the behaviour of the victim,
  offender, media and criminal justice system all
  interact.

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IDEOLOGY AND NEW CRIMINOLOGY

• Sociologists of crime and deviance should
  criticise the established capitalist order.
• Should uncover and explain crimes of the rich.
• Should critically examine the role of the police,
  media and criminal justice system.
• Are criminals expressing their anger at
  capitalism?
• See page 230.

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CRITICISMS OF THE NEW CRIMINOLGY

• Traditional Marxists claim it has moved too far
  from Marxism.
• Too romantic a view of criminals.
• Feminists point out the lack of a focus on the
  power of patriarchy women are missed out.

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MARXIST SUBCULTURAL THEORY

• Capitalism controls us in two ways1.
  Ideological dominance in the media.2. Economic
  pressures eg mortgages.
• Only groups on the edge of society can provide
  resistance as they are less constrained.
• Biggest group is working class youth.

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BRAKE (1980)

• Clothes and language of working class youth
  express their disdain for capitalism.
• Magical resistance an illusion as their
  problems are not solved.
• Society changes but one constant is always there
  working class will be exploited.
• All will be trapped like their parents

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LEARNING TO LABOUR

• Paul Willis study of working-class boys in
  secondary school (1977)
• They realise the sort of jobs they will get and
  therefore reject school.
• This rejection ensures they will fail their
  belief therefore comes true.
• They have been instrumental in bringing about
  their own failure.

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CRITICISMS

• Subcultures can be interpreted in many different
  ways.
• Writers wanted to prove that working-class
  culture was an attack on capitalism and they
  fixed the evidence to prove this.
• Claimed by Cohen (1980) who said it was a biased
  analysis.