Social Conflict and Critical Criminology

1. Social Conflict and Critical Criminology SOC 112 Chapter 8

2. Marx • Karl Marx, German heritage (1818-1883) - most influential figures in world history - writings impacted government policies - changed course of world history - impacted criminology a. Political philosopher / social scientist - Ph.D. in political studies - writing for underground socialist papers (1) Basic theme

3. Marx - exposing misery of workers in Europe - mid-1800s / industrial age (a) Expulsion from Germany - moved to Paris - Friedrich Engels (German businessman) - accepted Marx’s theories (b) Wrote “Communist Manifesto” - published in 1848

4. Marx - moved to London - wrote “Das Kapital” (Capital) (2) Major theme - humans: inherently caring /cooperative creatures - small foraging societies - share resources - help in common goals (a) Staking out private plots of land

5. Marx - declared ownership - change in human nature - land: unevenly distributed (3) Surplus goods produced - certain classes: barely able to survive - greed of others (a) Industrial societies emerged - two distinct classes developed

6. Marx (b) Distinct classes - one controlled means of production - other did actual work (4) Marx contended: - wealth end up in hands of those who controlled production - workers would revolt - establish cooperatives - manage factories / share profits

7. Marx (a) Revolt - establish government bureaucracy - enforce / oversee return to human cooperation / sharing - called this phase “communism” (b) Resistance to changes in production - would fade away - “socialism” would then emerge - humans return to original state - minimal presence / interference

8. b. Notion developed: - struggle between the social classes - Marx used term ‘class’ = refer to people’s degrees of access to wealth (capital) - owners: stores / factories = bourgeoisie - workers = proletariat (1) Major impact - theoretical / political perspectives - associate works with socialism (2) Significant impact

9. - thinking / policies of modern world - associate works = communism (a) Doctrine of: - conditions for the liberation of the proletariat (b) All property owned - privately / collectively c. Beginnings - born in Trier, Prussia (Germany) - studied = Germany / London

10. (1) Belief: - social structure of modern countries - reflected social class conflict - inevitable by-product of capitalism (a) Capitalism - economic system - creates a class culture (b) Benefits some members of society - cost to others - social class conflict = crime

11. (2) Marx and Friedrich Engels - same beliefs - worked together (a) Argued = private ownership - results in poverty of others (b) Own means of production - exploit those who do not (c) Latter - turn to crime = result of poverty

12. (3) Marx / Engels believed: - capitalist system - sole determinant of crime (a) Causative element - all facets of life (b) Political / religious / social / ethical / psychological / material (c) Only way to eliminate - social revolution

13. (d) Eliminate social class - eliminate conflict - crime could be abolished • Willem Bonger = Dutch heritage - early Marxist criminologist - studied = lives of primitive people - influenced by altruism (social / helpful) - living for good of others / without reward a. Capitalist system - people concentrate only on themselves

14. - leads to selfishness (1) Capitalism breeds social irresponsibility - leads to crime (2) Economic system of capitalism - climate of motivation - criminal behavior (3) Socialist system - promote concern for all in society - crime would be eliminated

15. b. Marxist criminology - based on four concepts (1) Crime is best understood - viewing scarcity of resources - inequality of distribution (2) Crime = constitutes more than state definition of crime - unlawful to steal food from another - does not look at why (hunger)

16. (3) State version of crime / other harms - product of class struggle - laws = made by rich / powerful (4) Crime - represents alienation of individuals - by capitalist social structures and institutions - regulatory agencies • Critical / radical criminology - radical = part of critical criminology

17. - follow Marxist views of social class - critical = context of skillful judgment / judging with severity a. Radical criminology - radical = refers to origin / get to root of - study of crime / criminals - looks at economics (root of problem) - radical theorists = change situations for betterment of suppressed classes (1) Critical criminology

18. - emerged following social turbulence - shocked country in 1960s - social conflict between groups (a) Revolts / riots - treatment of minorities (b) Cultural revolution - youth subculture - Timothy Leary (2) Discrimination / economic inequality

19. - causes of nation’s problems (a) Crime occurs among pool classes - police = agents of powerful (b) Laws - enacted to control lower classes (3) Two basic elements - common to all critical theorists (a) Rely on economic explanations

20. - behavior of people (b) Problem of crime - cannot be solved - within capitalist society (4) Critical theorists believe: - personal crimes - not greatest threat to society (a) Corporate, political, environmental - greater threat

21. (5) Emphasis of critical criminology - social / economic conditions (a) Not characteristics of individual criminal (b) Draw upon Marxists beliefs - analyze social relations / process (6) Critical theorists believe: - capitalism = economic system - creates class structure - benefits some members

22. - cost of others (a) Class membership - dictates how individuals relate - both economically / politically (b) Economic ownership - related to political power