SOC 2700 Lecture : LEC 5 - FEB 7
15 Feb 2012
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Conflict theory: some ideas of conflict theory. Power struggles exist between groups: conflict theorists study the following: The role of government in creating a criminal society. The role of group power in shaping criminal law. Relationship between capitalism and crime rates: position of conflict theorists. Law and crime are about power: conflict theorists start with some questions: Why are laws used against certain groups: common ideas in conflict theory. Crime is political: marxist criminology: karl marx and friedrich engels. Source of conflict: who controls the means (mode) of production: marxist criminology: modern theorists. Distancing from means of production determines crime. Importance of surplus value and crime: contemporary marxists: willem bonger. Greed and selfishness are tied to crime. Capitalism demoralizes the person (crime: contemporary marxists: other approaches. Conditions in capitalism generate crime: reaction to deprivation thesis. Social origins of law and criminalization: instrumental marxism. The state serves the interests of elites.
