Topic Summaries

Marxist perspectives of crime

A-Level > Sociology > AQA > A Level Sociology Topic Summaries > Crime and deviance > Marxist perspectives of crime
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Exam overview
  • 👤 Marx (1848): crime is inevitable under capitalism due to exploitation and poverty. Laws serve ruling-class interests, protecting private property.
    • Ignores crimes of the working class that harm other workers.
  • 👤 Gordon (1976): crime is a rational response to capitalist inequalities and can be found in all social classes.
    • Doesn’t explain why most people obey the law despite inequality.
  • 👤 Chambliss (1975): laws are tools of the ruling class, criminalising working-class behaviour while protecting ruling-class interests.
    • Overemphasises class at the expense of gender and ethnicity.
  • 👥 Snell and Tombs (2011) corporate and white-collar crimes are often under-policed and punished less severely than working-class crime.
    • Public concern about corporate crime is growing, increasing regulation

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