Examine the Marxists explanation of crime and deviance (12 marks)

One way in which capitalism is criminogenic is through the way society advertises consumer goods - it gives the working class an incentive to commit utilitarian crimes to achieve the consumer goods on show. Society also promotes non utilitarian crimes such as violence and vandalism. This is due the working class facing alienation and lack of control over their lives which therefore leads to feelings of frustration and aggression. However, it can be argued that criminal acts are not just committed by the working class. Capitalism promotes a ‘dog eat dog’ system in which the profit motive encourages the mentality of greed and self-interest, therefore indirectly promoting criminal acts amongst all those who seek profit. The ruling classes commit white collar crimes and corporate crimes such as tax evasion and breaches of health and safety laws. However, it can also be argued that not all capitalist societies have high crime rates, for example, Japan and Switzerland have a considerably lower level of crime compared to the USA, therefore indicating that the capitalist society may not be criminogenic.

Gordon argues that crime in a rational response to the capitalist society and it is therefore found in all social classes regardless of the fact that official statistics make it appear to be a largely working class phenomenon. However, when it comes to prosecuting there is a selective enforcement. Powerless groups such as the working class and ethnic minorities are criminalised whilst the police and courts tend to ignore the crimes of the power. It can be argued that the Bhopal disaster in 1984 in which an American factory ‘accidentally’ pumped poisonous gas into the city in turn killing over 20,000 people,  was a crime committed by the ruling class due to not ensuring that the people within the factory were safe. However, due to selective enforcement no one has been punished for the crime. Slapper and Tombs argue that corporate crime is under policed and rarely prosecuted or punished severely, which therefore encourages companies to use criminal acts as a way to make profit, even at the expense of others. Snider supports their argument and adds that the capitalist state is reluctant to create laws that regulate the activities of businesses or threaten their profitability.