SOC 1500 Chapter Notes - Chapter 9: Structural Marxism, Class Conflict, Deconstruction

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 1500
• Professor: Mavis Morton

Document Summary

Ocial conflict theorists view crime as a function of the conflict that exists in society. The goal of social conflict theorists is to explain crime within economic and social contexts and to express the connections among social class, crime, and social control. View crime as the outcome of class struggle. Conflict theory is a general approach that sees criminal behaviour as caused by economic inequality, and criminal law defined by those in power. Crime is a function of class conflict and the definition of the law is controlled by people who hold social and political power. It accounts for class differentials in the crime rate. The capitalist means of production creates class conflict. Crime is a rebellion of the lower class and the criminal justice system is an agent of class warfare. It accounts for the associations between economic structure and crime rates. Marx believed that the economic conditions had put workers at the mercy of capitalist employers.