Sociology

Evaluation of Critical Criminology

• Feminists argue it is 'gender blind' focusing more on male criminality
• Left realists make two criticisms:
• Makes out that WC criminals are 'Robin Hoods' (fighting the RC by re-distributing wealth from them) however  in reality, these criminals simply prey on the poor
• Taylor doesn't take crime seriously and ignores it's effects on WC victims
• Burke, argues its's both too general to explain crime and too idealistic to be useful in tackling crime

Marxist/Neo-Marxism Theories

Labelling Theory

A fully Social Theory of Deviance- Taylor

• Aimed to create an comprehensive understanding of crime and deviance, to help change society for the better
• A complete theory of deviance needs to unite six aspects:
• Wider reasons why the deviant act was done
• Why the individual decides to commit the act
• The act itself
• Reactions of those around the deviant (police, family etc)
• Why are some acts treated more harshly than others- who has the power to define actions as deviant
• Effects of labelling on the deviants future

All six are all realted and need to be understood together as part of a united theory

Critical Criminology- Taylor

• Agree with traditional Marxists on:
• Capitalism is based on exploitation of WC
• State makes laws in Capitalist interest
• Capitalism should be replaced by a classless society

Anti-Determinism- Taylor

• Argued traditional Marxism is deterministic, Taylor takes more volutaristic view (the idea we have free will)
• Crime is an meaningful action and a conscious choice
• Criminals aren't passive puppets and behaviour isn't shaped by the nature of Capitalism, they want to change society
• Individuals shouldn't be labelled deviant just because they are different, they should be free to live their lives as they wish

• Conflict Theory
• Marxist view of Crime has three elements:

Criminogenic Capitalism (creating conditions for crime through exploitation + competition)

• Capitalism is based on exploitation of the working class, which then makes the WC commit crime, example:
• poverty may mean crime is the only way to survive
• crime is the only way they can get goods that are encouraged by capitalist advertising
• alienation and lack of control over their lives may lead to frustration and aggression= violence and vandalism

Gordon, argues crime is a rational response to Capitalist system

The State and Law making

• Law making and enforcement is serving the interests of the Capitalist class
• Chambliss, argued laws protect private property and are the cornerstone (beginning) of Capitalist economy
• RC have the power to prevent laws that threaten their interests
• Sinder, said Capitalist won't pass laws that threaten their profitability
• Ideological Functions of Crime and Law

• Laws are passed that appear to 'benefit' the WC, for example Workplace Health and Safety 
• Pearce, argued laws that suppose to benefit the WC also benefit the RC- by keeping workers fit to work and giving Capitalism a 'caring' face, giving false consciousness among WC
• Such laws aren't always enforced= Carson, found in 200 firms that they had all broken the H&S laws at least once and 1.5% of cases resulted in prosecution
• Sate enrofces the law selectively and divides the WC, encouraging workers to blame criminals for their problems 
• Media contribute by portraying criminals as disturbed individuals

UNIT 4 Crime and Deviance

• Labelling Theory= interested in how and why certain acts come to be defined or labelled as criminal in the first place

The Social Construction of Crime

• No act is inherently criminal or deviant in itself, all situations and at all times, it only comes to be so when others label it as to be criminal or deviant
• Not the nature of the act that makes it deviant, but the nature of societys reaction to the act
• Becker, 'social groups create deviance by creating the rules... and by applying those rules to particular people and labelling them as outsiders'
• Argued that deviant is simply someone who had label sucessfully applied to them and deviant behaviour is simply behaviour that people label
• Moral entrepreneurs= people who lead a moral 'crusade' to change the laws in the belief that it will benefit those to who it is applied to