Crime and Deviance: Marxism
Marxism believes in a socialist (welfare) state, where property and
wealth are divided equally divided, making the purpose of life a
pursuit of leisure not profit.
Marxism claim that crime is a product of capitalism, as capitalism
leads to:
o poverty forcing individuals to commit crimes to survive.
o Business advertising, creates materialistic desires within
consumers
o Alienation from work (factory setting causes a lack of passion
and joy in what you make) can cause a lack of control and
aggression
o Desire leads to a ‘strain’
Capitalist Values
o Ruthless competition rather than co-operation
o Profit before people
o To win at all costs
o Desire for self-enrichment
Gordon (1976)-
Crime is a rational response to a capitalist society that
encourages selfishness.
The State and Law
• Laws are made to protect the interests of the wealthy
• Most laws exist to protect the ownership of property and
assets
• Governments are reluctant to regulate businesses
Selective Enforcement
The poor are criminalised, the rich are protected
Reiman (2001) –
people from higher social classes less likely to be criminalised –
e.g., tax evasion, health and safety breaches, environmental crimes
and crimes of the working class treated very seriously – e.g.,
burglary, assault.
The Ideological Functions of Crime
Some laws appear to protect the working class – e.g., health and
safety
• The state represents crime as a working-class problem
• Media portrays criminals as disturbed, rather than blaming
capitalism as a cause
• Society is divided whilst the true cause of crime, inequality,
is ignored
Pearce (1976)
Marxism believes in a socialist (welfare) state, where property and
wealth are divided equally divided, making the purpose of life a
pursuit of leisure not profit.
Marxism claim that crime is a product of capitalism, as capitalism
leads to:
o poverty forcing individuals to commit crimes to survive.
o Business advertising, creates materialistic desires within
consumers
o Alienation from work (factory setting causes a lack of passion
and joy in what you make) can cause a lack of control and
aggression
o Desire leads to a ‘strain’
Capitalist Values
o Ruthless competition rather than co-operation
o Profit before people
o To win at all costs
o Desire for self-enrichment
Gordon (1976)-
Crime is a rational response to a capitalist society that
encourages selfishness.
The State and Law
• Laws are made to protect the interests of the wealthy
• Most laws exist to protect the ownership of property and
assets
• Governments are reluctant to regulate businesses
Selective Enforcement
The poor are criminalised, the rich are protected
Reiman (2001) –
people from higher social classes less likely to be criminalised –
e.g., tax evasion, health and safety breaches, environmental crimes
and crimes of the working class treated very seriously – e.g.,
burglary, assault.
The Ideological Functions of Crime
Some laws appear to protect the working class – e.g., health and
safety
• The state represents crime as a working-class problem
• Media portrays criminals as disturbed, rather than blaming
capitalism as a cause
• Society is divided whilst the true cause of crime, inequality,
is ignored
Pearce (1976)
