Marxist criminology examines how social and economic power shape law, crime, and the definition of deviance. It asks not only why crime occurs, but also whose interests the legal system serves and how social arrangements produce criminogenic conditions.
Structural functionalism emphasizes the institutions and shared norms that help maintain social stability. Marxist criminology, like other conflict approaches, instead highlights social divisions and the forces that generate change. It examines how wealth, prestige, and power are unequally distributed, and how those inequalities shape people’s opportunities and experiences.
All flashcards
What is Marxist criminology?
A perspective that analyzes crime, law, and deviance in relation to social conflict, class divisions, and unequal economic and political power.
What is the ruling class in Marxist analysis?
The class with dominant economic and political power, which may use institutions such as law to advance its interests.
What is criminalization?
The process by which some behaviors are defined as criminal or deviant and become subject to formal legal sanctions.
What does state-corporate crime refer to?
Crime or harm involving relationships between state institutions and corporate actors.
How does Marx's account of criminal conduct differ from a purely individual explanation?
It considers social circumstances and constraints alongside individual conduct and choices.
Quiz questions
What central difference separates Marxist criminology from structural functionalism?Answer: Marxist criminology emphasizes conflict, unequal power, and social change; structural functionalism emphasizes stability and continuity.
How did Marx describe the potential role of law in a class-divided society?Answer: Law can help the ruling class maintain other classes in a disadvantaged position.
According to Sellin, what may happen when laws reflect the norms of a dominant cultural group?Answer: Minority-group behavior may be defined as deviant even when it follows that group's norms.
Why might a Marxist researcher compare prosecution or punishment across social classes?Answer: To investigate whether enforcement and punishment vary with class and access to resources.
How do Marxist and anarchist criminology differ over the alternative to an unjust social order?Answer: Marxists propose socialism, while anarchists reject hierarchical or authoritarian power structures.