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Using Material from Item a and Elsewhere, Assess Different Marxist Views of the Relationship Between Crime and Social Class.

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Using material from item A and elsewhere, assess different Marxist views of the relationship between crime and social class.

Marxism is a conflict structural theory which states that there is a division of labour between two social classes, the bourgeoisie and the proletariats, because of the existence, exploitation and reproduction of capitalism. Marxists explain how superstructures in society, such as religion, politics, media, education, law etc, act as agencies of control and serve the interests of the ruling class. Unlike functionalists, Marxists do not agree that there is a value consensus in society but instead state that the superstructures benefit the bourgeoisie and damage the lives of the proletariat. As Item A states, crime in society can be seen as a reaction against the unequal distribution of wealth through the social position they have been given. The essay will focus on the relationship between crime and social class in a Marxist perspective.

The traditional Marxist approach to crime suggests that crime is inevitable because capitalism is criminogenic – crime is built in its very nature. The concept of capitalism is to create as much profit by paying low wages to the labourers which leads to many consequences. The exploitation rises poverty and material deprivation which means that crime may be the only option for working class members to survive. Utilitarian crimes are more likely to be committed by working class members than the ruling class because the materials they require many not be achievable in a legitimate way. David Gordan (1976) argues that capitalism encourages criminal behaviour in all societies because of the goal is represents. Capitalism is best described as a system of ultimate greed and ruthless competition no matter what stands in the way.

Functionalists say that there is a value consensus in society where all

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