CLJ 120 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Orthodox Marxism, Structural Marxism, Class Consciousness
15 Aug 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Crime is considered a byproduct of social inequality. Crime arises from efforts of those in power and those positioned lower in the social structure. Crime also arises as a collective expression of alienation, deprivation, and frustration by those in the working class. Those who gain power naturally, define crime and deviance in ways that serve their interests, and their designations determine how society will be structured. Capitalism is the source of most social problems b/c it creates competition for profit. Profit desire realized by ruling class extractive surplus value from the working class. Profit surplus value can only be realized thru exploitation. Max predicts that as alienation becomes obvious and widely recognized throughout the working class, class consciousness and later revolution would arise. Mainstream definitions of success factor into class consciousness. Posits a direct relationship between the interests of the ruling class and the criminal justice system. These interests are identifiable based on historical functioning of the criminal justice system.
