Evaluate the usefulness of Marxist theory to our...

Evaluate the usefulness of Marxist theory to our understanding of crime and deviance (40 marks) Synopticity - Crime Deviance sociological theory Marxist explanations of crime and deviance, like their work on other areas like the family and education, rest on an economic and structural analysis of society that sees a class struggle between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. This struggle comprises the attempts by the proletariat to free themselves from the domination of the bourgeoisie as they seek to take over the means of production. David Gordon argues that crime is an inevitable product of capitalism and the inequality that it generates. He argues that inequalities in wealth and income create poverty and homelessness for†¦show more content†¦The major problem with Marxist analyses of crime and deviance is with their sweeping generalisations, trying to apply actions to all people that clearly apply to only a minority. Similarly, their assumption that everything is driven by the economic class struggle is hard to sustain. A convincing case can be made that Marxism provides one of the best explanations of many phenomena identified within societies, but the politics of the world has changed and Marxism is no longer the major social movement for liberation from oppression that it used to be, so it is argued that Marxism s conceptual apparatus has become less relevant. In a society where most people have undergone considerable improvements in their standard of living and where peasant struggles which might h ave been applicable in the 19th century when Marx was writing seem to be no longer of much relevance. This thus suggests that Marxist theories aren’t useful to our understanding of crime and deviance in contemporary society. Other writers on crime and deviance strongly disagree with the Marxist analysis. For instance Functionalists might attribute more to imperfect socialisation and see crime as a necessary element of society to help bring about social change but also to reinforce the collective conscience of society. Interactionists criticise Marxists for ignoring the processes involved in criminality and the system, for instance Becker and Lemert focus much more onShow MoreRelatedcrime and deviance4817 Words   |  20 Pages SCLY4 Crime and Deviance with Theories Methods Past Papers Use the following past papers to practise your exam writing techniques and aid your revision. Make sure you look at the mark scheme for each question to assess your answer. Also check the ‘model answers’ from students to see where good AO1 and AO2 marks were scored. Crime and Deviance Different theories of crime, deviance, social order and social control. The social distribution of crime and deviance by age, ethnicityRead MoreEssay on Criminological Theories13456 Words   |  54 PagesStudent Study Guide for Ronald L. Akers and Christine S. Sellers’ Criminological Theories: Introduction, Evaluation, and Applications Fourth Edition Prepared by Eric See Youngstown State University Roxbury Publishing Company Los Angeles, California 1 Student Study Guide by Eric See for Criminological Theories: Introduction, Evaluation, and Application , 4th Edition by Ronald L. Akers and Christine S. Sellers Copyright  © 2004 Roxbury Publishing Company, Los Angeles, CaliforniaRead MoreSociology Essay20437 Words   |  82 PagesRelationships Unit 1.7 Social Policy and the Future of Families and Households Module 2 Education Unit 2.1 Introduction to the Sociology of Education Unit 2.2 Developments in Education from the 19th Century to 1997 Unit 2.3 Sociological Theories of Education Unit 2.4 Social Class and Educational Opportunity Unit 2.5 Gender and Educational Opportunity Unit 2.6 Ethnicity and Educational Opportunity Unit 2.7 Government Policy and Education Unit 2.8 Researching Education Module 3 SociologicalRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pages. Organization Theory Challenges and Perspectives John McAuley, Joanne Duberley and Phil Johnson . This book is, to my knowledge, the most comprehensive and reliable guide to organisational theory currently available. What is needed is a text that will give a good idea of the breadth and complexity of this important subject, and this is precisely what McAuley, Duberley and Johnson have provided. They have done some sterling service in bringing together the very diverse strands of work