Whether crime is an outcome of capitalism.docx
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Whether crime is an outcome of capitalism.docx
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Whethercrimeisanoutcomeofcapitalism
Topic:
AccordingtoMarxistcriminologists,crimeisanoutcomeofcapitalism.Towhatextentaretheycorrect?
1.Introduction
Inthemidtolate19thcentury,severalgreatworksoftheGermanphilosopherKarlMarxhaveenteredtheworldstageandrapidlyprevailedamongwideareas.Focusingonanalyzingandcriticizingthedevelopmentofcapitalismandroleofclassstruggleinsystemiceconomic,politicalandsocialchanges,Marx’sframeworkhasbeenwelladaptedtoexplainthecrimebysomeMarxistcriminologists.SobasedonMarxisttheory,thekeyaspectofMarxistcriminologyistoregardcrimeasareflectionofclassdivisionsandconflictsincapitalistsociety,especiallytheclass-relatedprocesseswithrespecttothecapitalistmodeofproductionandoveralldistributionofsocialwealth.Andundersuchcapitalistsocialrelations,someMarxistcriminologistshasformulatedaholisticconceptionofdeviancethatcrimeisanoutcomeofstructuralconflictsundertheeconomic,politicalandsocialconditionsofcapitalism.
Thus,thisessaywillgiveadetailedanalysisonthisstandpointinMarxistcriminologythroughitsbackground,correctnessandlimitation,fromwhichwecanhaveaclearviewaboutthesocialandtheoreticalbasisofMarxistcriminology,andhowthecapitalismgivesrisetocrimeaswellastheexistingcritiquesonsuchstandpoint.ItcanbeseenthatMarxistcriminologyhasexertedaprofoundinfluenceontheprogressofcriminologyandcriminaljusticesystem,especiallytheconcentrationonworkingclassorproletariathasmadeagreatcontributiontothereformsonimprovingtheirlegalsituationsandprotections.AndfinallywecanfindthatMarxisttheorywillbealsoofgreatusetothefuturedevelopmentofcriminology.
2.Background
∙Socialconditions
Datebackto18thcentury,withtheemergencesofcapitalisttheoriesandbourgeoisrevolution,anincreasingnumberofcountriescameintocapitalistsociety.Andinthecapitalistsociety,socialactivitiesmostlyreflecttheinterestofthecapitalism,whichupholdtheprivateownershipofthemeansofproductionandtheiroperationforprofit.ThentherehasappearedtheprevalentphenomenonthatCapitalismestablishedpoweranddominanceinthehandsoftheminoritycapitalistclassthroughtheexploitationofthemajorityworkingclass.Theyalsoattempttoprioritizeprofitoversocialgoodsandservices,naturalresourcesandeventheenvironment.Apartfromtheunequaldistributionofwealth,capitalistsalsocreatedtheengineofinequalityandeconomicinstabilitiestomaintaintheirbenefit.
Asaresultofthiscapitalistprocess,theeconomicrelationshipbetweencapitalistclassandcapitalistclassbecametenseandcontradictory,leadingtofrequentrebellionandrevolutionamongtheworkingclassaroundtheworld.Meanwhile,crimesalsoderivedfromthiscapitalismprocess,forsuchclassdivisionhasbroughtaboutserioussocialproblemslikepovertyandunemployment,economicinequality,decayinethicanddistortionofhumanity.Inadditiontothe“ethosofgreed”atthatperiod,capitalismhasplacedanexcessivestressonindividualsuccessandcompetitionatallcoststopursuethemaximizedinterest.Therefore,notonlytheworkingclassbutalsothecapitalistclasschoosetocommitcrimesinordertofightagainstoppressionorsatisfytheirindividualdesires.
∙CriminologicalTheorySupport
Fromthemiddleof20thcentury,thelabellingperspectivesofcriminologyhaveemergedinsomeadvancedcapitalistcountries,whichrepresentedamajorchallengetoexistingorthodoxiesofcrimebyviewingthecreationofcrimeasanactivesocialprocess.Thelabellingcriminologistspointedoutthatcrimewasactuallydefinedbythosewithpowertocreatetherulesinsteadofsocialconsensus,andthesocietywasmadeupofvariouscompetinginterestgroupswithvariousethic,class,valuesaswellaseconomicandpoliticaldesires.Hence,suchbreakthroughincriminologyhaslaidthefoundationforMarxisttofurtherexplaintheroleofthepowerandcompetinginterests,andtacklethelimitationsoflabellingperspectives.
Furthermore,basedonMarx’ssocialandeconomicconceptsthattheeconomicsystemandrelatedsocialrelationsformthesuperstructure,someMarxistsinterpretedthistheorytoexplaincrimeunderthecontextofthecapitalistmodeofproductionandestablishacriticalunderstandingofhowthecapitalismgivesrisetocrimeandcriminogenicconditions.Forinstance,thefamousMarxistWillemBongerdevelopedthecausallinkbetweencrimeandeconomicandsocialconditions,claimingthatcrimeisanormalresponsetosuchconditionscreatedbycapitalism;andTheNewCriminologybyTaylor,WaltonandYoung,whichisoneofthemostinfluentialworksinMarxistcriminology,alsolocatedtherootsofcrimeinthecapitalistmodeofproductionwhichwereboundupwithinequities,divisionsinmaterialresourcesandownership.
Therefore,fromthesocialandtheoreticalbackgrounddiscussedabove,itwouldbebettertounderstandwhyMarxistcriminologistspersistentlyemphasizetheessentialcausationbetweencrimeandcapitalism.Andthentheparagraphsbelowwilldemonstratethecorrectnessofthisperspectivebyelaboratingthespecificcapitalistfactorsthatleadpeopletocommitcrimesorcreatethecriminogenicconditions,fromwhichwecancomprehendthereasonswhycrimecanbeseenasapossibleoutcomeofcapitalism.
3.CausationbetweenCrimeandCapitalism
∙CapitalismDefinesandPenalizesCrime
InaccordancewithMarxisttheory,thelawisdesignedtoreflectthewillingnessofcapitalismincapitalistsociety,andthebreachoflawistheactionwhichgoesagainstthecapitalistinterests.Sincethesocialpowerisconcentratedinthehandsofpowerfulclasswhoownthemeansofproductionandenormouswealth,thentheymayinfluenceanddictatethebehaviorwhichistobedefinedascrimeornotbyincorporatingtheirwillingnessintothecriminallegislation.Therefore,thepowerfulclassareabletodefineandenforceparticularsocialordersoutoftheirinterests,whilethepowerlessclassunderthissocialstructurehavefewerresourceandlessrighttoparticipateinsuchprocess.
Apartfromdefiningcrime,therulingclasscanalsointentionallymanipulateandcontrolthelegalsysteminamannerwhichguaranteestheirowninterestsareunderprotection.Inthelegalpracticeofcapitalistsociety,judicialadjudicationmainlyservesthecapitalismtomaintainthelegitimacyofunequalsocialrelationsandeconomicalconditions,aswellascontroltheactionswhichthreatentheirprivatepropertyandpublicorders.Andwhenitcomestothecrimesoffendedbycapitalism,theycanusethecriminaljusticesystemasatooltohelpmembersofthepowerfulclassescapeliabilityforcertainbehaviorswhichmaybeconsideredillegal.What’smore,indefendingoneselfagainstprosecutions,thelackofaccesstolegalresourcesalwaysleadthepowerlesspeoplemorevulnerabletothepunishmentundercapitalistjurisdiction,andthisinturn,aggravatestheirunfavorableconditions.
∙ModeofCapitalistProductionDeterminesCrime
InMarxistcriminology,crimeshouldbeexplainedinthecontextofthecapitalistmodeofproduction:
meansofproductionarethecapitalists’privatepossession,andtheownersoftheproductionaccumulatewealthbyappropriatingthesurplusvalueoftheworkers,leadingtheeconomicexploitationandclassstrugglewidelyexistincapitalistsociety.Asaresultofthisprocess,thepowerfulclassarebecomingmorewealthyanddominantwhilethepowerlessclassareturningpoorerandunderprivileged,makingtheunequaldistributionofpropertyresourcesandthegapbetweenrichandpoorcontinuouslywidening.Undersuchcircumstances,thereisnodoubtthatcrimesaremorelikelytobecommittedbythebothclass.
Facedwithseriouscapitalistexploitationandclassstruggle,Marxistcriminologistsstatethatwhentheworkingclassgraduallyrealizetheexistenceofinequalityandoppressiontheyhavebeensufferingfromareduetothelongstandingexploitationbytherulingclass,thenturmoilandconflictswouldbeunavoidable.Itcanbeestimatedthattheworkingclassarelikelytocommitcrimesunderthestruggleforsurvivingandresistancetotheruleofcapitalism.Asfortherulingclass,inordertocontrolsuchcrimes,theyhavetomakeeffortsonmaintainingtheirdominanceandvestedintereststhroughthecriminaljusticesystem,theprocessofwhichmayalsoinvolveincrimes.Thatistosay,inthecapitalistsociety,crimeandcriminalizationcanbeseenasaninevitableconsequenceunderthemodeofcapitalistproduction.
∙TheDistinctionandImpactofCrimeinCapitalistSociety
InaccordancewithMarxistview,crimeincapitalistsocietycanbedividedintotwodistinctivepartswhicharethecrimesofthepowerfulandthecrimesofthepowerless.Thecriminalitiesareformedwithdifferentmotivations,propensitiesandcharacteristicsonaccountofthediscrepantclassconditions.Forinstance,thecrimesofthepowerfularemorelinkedtopersonaldesirestomaximizeone’swealthandgetanedgeintheoveralleconomiccompetition,whichmaypresentintheformsofhigh-techcrimes,economiccrimes,corporatecrimesandsoon.Asforthecrimesofthepowerless,crimesaremostlycommittedtobolsterorsupplementone’sincomeforbasicsubsistencelevel,whichnormallyreflectinantisocialbehaviorsandexperienceofalienationlikepropertycrimes,violentcrimesorstreetcrimes.
Fromtheforegoingdiscussion,wecaninferthatthedistinctionofdifferentcrimesislargelycausedbythestructureofunequalclassrelationsinasociety,since
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