Marxism and Crime

Marxists argue that the unequal structure of capitalist society shapes people’s behaviour.

Marxists argue that capitalist society is divided into two classes:

1)The ruling capitalist class (bourgeoisie)

2)The working class (proletariat)

All the institutions of capitalist society work to maintain this inequality and exploitation

Crime is inevitable in capitalist society, because capitalism is a criminogenic (crime-causing) system. This is due to several reasons:

1)The exploitation of the working class drives many people into poverty, meaning crime may be the only way to survive

2)Capitalism continually pushes consumer goods at people through advertising, resulting in utilitarian crimes (e.g. theft) to obtain them.

3)Inequality causes feelings of alienation and frustration, resulting in non-utilitarian crimes (e.g. violence and vandalism)

4)Capitalism is a dog-eat dog system and the profit motive promotes greed. This encourages capitalists to commit corporate crimes (e.g. tax evasion, breaking health and safety laws) to gain an advantage.

Chambliss (1975) argues that the laws are made to protect the private property of the rich. E.g. there are laws against the homeless squatting in empty houses, but no laws against the rich owning several houses. Very few laws challenge the unequal distribution of wealth.

Chambliss, W (1975) Towards a Political Economy of Crime, Theory and Society.

White collar and corporate crimes are less likely to be prosecuted than working class ‘street crimes’:

Out of 200 companies who had broken safety laws, Carson (1971) found that only 3 were prosecuted

Despite the large number of deaths at work caused by employers’ negligence, there was only one successful prosecution of a UK firm in 8 years for corporate homicide

Corporate crime is often punished less severely, for example with fines rather than custody – even though it often causes great harm

Carson, W (1971) White-Collar Crime and the Enforcement of Factory Legislation in Carson W and Wiles P (eds) Crime and Delinquency in Britain, Martin Robertson

Marxists argue that ideas about crime and the law are an ideology – a set of ideas that conceal the inequality of capitalist society.
Selective enforcement makes it look as if crime is the fault of the working class. This divides the working class, encouraging workers to blame working-class criminals for their problems, rather than capitalism. This also shifts attention away from much more serious ruling-class crime. Some laws do benefit workers to a limited extent, e.g. health and safety laws. However, Pearce (1976)argues that these also benefit capitalism by giving it as ‘caring face’.

Pearce, F (1976) Crimes of the Powerful, London: Pluto