Explaining Crime » Marxist, Feminist and Postmodernist Theories of Crime

Marxism: the law serves the powerful

Remember, Marxists see society as a conflict between the ruling class (the bourgeoisie) and the working class (the proletariat). Marxists use this idea to explain crime. They say the question is not only why people break the law, but who makes the law and who it protects.

Key terms:

• Ruling class: the small group who own the wealth and industries and have most power in a capitalist society.
• Selective enforcement: when laws are applied more strictly to some groups than to others.
• Crimes of the powerful: harmful acts by rich and powerful people or organisations, such as polluting the environment or ignoring safety rules to save money.

Marxists make three main points:

• Laws reflect ruling-class interests. Many laws protect private property and the system that keeps the ruling class in power. Laws are not a neutral set of rules that everyone agrees on.
• Selective enforcement. Working-class crimes such as theft are policed closely and punished harshly. Crimes of the powerful are less likely to be investigated, and penalties are often lighter.
• Crimes of the powerful. Marxists argue that these crimes can cause more harm than street crime, yet they are often hidden or not treated as "real" crime.

Example: a worker steals food from a shop and is arrested and sent to prison. A company pours waste into a river and is given a small fine that is far less than the money it saved. Marxists say the difference shows that the law favours the powerful.

Marxists also say that capitalism itself encourages crime, because it creates inequality and pushes people to want more wealth.

Feminism: crime, control and victims

Feminists argue that most theories of crime are about men and ignore women. They link crime to patriarchy, which means male power over women. Feminists make three main points.

Key terms:

• Female victimisation: women being the victims of crime, especially violence, sexual crimes and abuse from men.
• Gendered justice: the idea that the criminal justice system treats men and women differently because of ideas about how each gender should behave.

• Patriarchal control of women. Heidensohn argued that women commit less crime partly because they are controlled more closely than men: at home, in public and at work. Fear of harassment and violence also limits where women feel safe to go.
• Female victimisation. Feminists say crimes against women, such as domestic abuse and sexual violence, are common but often go unreported and unrecorded. They say society and the police have not always taken these crimes seriously.
• Gendered justice. Feminists argue that courts judge women against ideas of how women should behave. A woman who offends may be seen as breaking both the law and ideas of "proper" female behaviour, and so may be judged more harshly. (Remember, the chivalry thesis argues the opposite: see Explaining Crime: Gender.)

Postmodernism: a fragmented society

Remember, postmodernists say society is changing fast and that people can choose their identities (see Postmodernism: Is Identity Chosen?). Applied to crime, postmodernists make three main points.

Key terms:

• Fragmented society: a society broken into many different groups, each with its own values, so that shared norms are weaker.
• Identity theft: using another person's personal details, such as their name or bank details, to commit fraud.
• Consumer lifestyle: a way of life centred on buying and owning goods that show who you are.

• A fragmented society. With many groups and many sets of values, there is no single set of shared norms, so it is harder to agree on what is "deviant".
• New crimes. Technology and globalisation create new crimes such as cyber crime and identity theft. These cross borders and are hard to police.
• Crime and consumer lifestyles. Adverts and social media push people to own certain brands and styles. Some people who cannot afford them may turn to theft or fraud to keep up.

Exam-style question

(a) Define the term identity theft. [2 marks]

(d) Explain three reasons why Marxists argue that the law does not treat all social classes equally. [6 marks]