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Unlock This CourseMarxist perspectives view crime as a product of the inequalities inherent in the capitalist system. Unlike functionalist approaches that see crime as a result of poor socialisation, Marxists argue that crime is built into the very structure of capitalist society and serves the interests of the ruling class.
Key Definitions:
According to Marxists, capitalism creates crime in two main ways:
Marxists argue that laws are created by the powerful to:
Traditional Marxists argue that capitalism directly causes crime through:
Economic necessity drives people to commit crimes like theft to meet basic needs when legitimate opportunities are blocked.
Workers feel disconnected from their labour, society and themselves, leading to frustration that may be expressed through crime.
The experience of being exploited at work can lead to resentment and criminal responses against the system.
Marxists identify several categories of crime that emerge from capitalist society:
Crimes committed by the proletariat, often as:
Crimes committed by the bourgeoisie, including:
Marxists point to the 2008 financial crisis as evidence of their theory. Banks and financial institutions engaged in risky, sometimes fraudulent practices that crashed the global economy. Despite causing enormous harm, few bankers faced criminal charges. Meanwhile, poverty-related crimes increased as people lost homes and jobs. This demonstrates how the law protects powerful interests while criminalising the survival strategies of the poor.
Bonger argued that capitalism promotes egoistic attitudes and diminishes altruism. The competitive nature of capitalism encourages people to put self-interest above the welfare of others, creating conditions where crime becomes a rational choice.
William Chambliss studied how vagrancy laws in England evolved to serve ruling class interests. Initially created to force people to work for low wages after the Black Death reduced the workforce, these laws later targeted the unemployed to control "dangerous classes".
These theorists developed a "fully social theory of deviance" that recognised human agency. They argued that some crime represents a conscious political choice to resist capitalism's inequalities, not just a response to economic conditions.
Marxists highlight how law enforcement focuses on:
Meanwhile, corporate crimes that cause far more harm receive less attention.
Crime and criminal justice serve ideological purposes:
Marxists point to the "War on Drugs" as an example of selective criminalisation. While both middle-class and working-class people use drugs, enforcement disproportionately targets working-class communities. Possession of crack cocaine (more common in poor communities) carried much harsher sentences than powder cocaine (more common in wealthy communities). This demonstrates how the same behaviour is treated differently based on class position.
Marxist perspectives remain relevant today as we see:
For your exam, remember that while you don't need to personally agree with Marxist perspectives, you should be able to explain their key arguments and apply them to contemporary examples of crime and deviance.