CRITICAL

THEORY

The critical theory is a

criminological theory based
upon the writings of Karl Marx
Critical Theory Explained
• The critical theorist approach to
criminology argues that capitalism is the
root of crime.

• The system of ‘law and order ’ that we know

of today is merely the bourgeoise’s (ruling
class) attempt to suppress the power of
the proletariat (working class)
 • Critical Theorists argue that social
inequality which is forced upon the

The impact many due to the nature of capitalism is

responsible for crime.

of social • They argue that human nature is to

sur vive, and when perilous conditions

inequality are imposed, the working class will do

whatever they can to survive, even if
this means resulting to crime.
 • Mar xist criminologists take a diff erent
approach to the role of the individual
with regards to crime.
The • Most criminologist theories would
argue that the individual is the one
individual's solely responsible for the crime.

• Mar xist theorists argue that individuals

role in should not be punished for crimes, but
instead to destroy the society that
crime allows for these crimes to breed, thus
arguing that capitalism is responsible,
not the individual.
 • Many Marxist criminologists argue that
few corporate crimes are punished as

Evidence in punishing these crimes would go

against the bourgeoise’s interests.

support of • A modern day example of this is the

fact that just one person in America

Critical ser ved time in prison for their role in

the 2008 fi nancial crisis, despite fraud,

Theory insider trading and many more crimes

which caused the biggest recession
since the Great Depression
 • A common criticism of this idea provided
by Anti-Marxist criminologists is that
people do get arrested for corporate crime.

• The rebuttal to this by Marxist

Evidence criminologists is that the are few and far

between, and the ones that are prosecuted
are of ten taking a fall for someone much
for higher up.

• Fur thermore, these trials can be argued to

continued serve as a reminder of the bourgeoise’s
power in their ‘democracies’ and how they
can exer t it upon anyone when it suits
them, even other members of the ruling
class.
 • Chambliss (1970) shows that capitalist
culture creates a ‘commodity fetishism’
which can explain crime committed
par ticularly by the young. When people
want the newest phone, the newest clothes

Evidence but can’ t get them they will result to crime

because of the importance capitalist
culture has placed on these commodities.
for • Snider (1993) says ‘many of the most
serious anti-social and predator y acts
continued committed in modern industrial countries
are corporate crimes’. To back this up, over
100,000 people in America die every year
due to diseases caused from work. Just
over 16,000 homicides were reported in
America during 2019
 • Durkhe im wo ul d arg ue t ha t t he v i ew o f la w
be ing me rel y to se r ve the bo urg eo i s e’s
interes ts i s inc o rre ct . He w o uld s ay tha t l a w i s
an e q ua l bo dy, and whi le fl a we d.

• Durkhe im wo ul d say t hat t he j ud ic i al s y s te m

se r ves e ver yo ne ’s inte res ts a nd i s de mo c ra t ic .

• Ano t her c ri ti ci s m i s t ha t no t al l ca p it al i st
Evidence so ci et i es have ra mp ant c ri me i n the sa me way
the US a nd the UK d o. Swed en a nd o t he r

against S ca ndi nav i a n co unt ri e s have l o w crim e rates . A

reb ut ta l to t hi s ho wev er, i s t ha t t hei r pri so n
sy stems a nd thei r l ac k o f s o ci al i neq ual i ty fo r
ma ny is t he re as o n fo r thi s w hic h wo ul d st il l
pa r t ia l ly sup po r t t he crit i ca l the o ri s t arg um ent .

• A fur the r re but ta l i s t hat m ateria l co nd i ti o ns

fo r m any i mm ig ra nts i n S ca ndi nav i a c an e xpl ai n
the ris e i n c ri me c arrie d o ut by i mm ig ra nts .
 • Anti-Marxist critics would argue that
the class based view of crime is too one
dimensional, and fails to consider

Evidence things such as race and gender ’s part to

play in crime.

against • Neo-Marxists would also criticise

Mar xists for failing to consider that

continued many acts of crime carried out by the

working class are in defi ance of the
bourgeoise, as opposed to being acts of
self preservation.
 IN FAVOUR OF IN OPPOSITION OF
MARXIST CRITCAL MARXIST CRITICAL
THEORY THEORY
FEW CORPORATE DURKHEIM WOULD
CRIMES ARE PUNISHED ARGUE LAW IS AN
EQUAL BODY
ONE PERSON WAS NOT ALL CAPITALIST
CONVICTED IN THE US SOCIETIES FACE THE
FOR THEIR ROLE IN THE SAME CRIME THAT THE
To conclude 2008 FINANCIAL CRISIS US AND UK DO
WHEN CORPORATE CLASS BASED APPROACH
CRIME IS PUNISHED, IT TO CRIME IS TOO ONE
IS TO DEMONSTRATE DIMENSIONAL FAILS TO
POWER CONSIDER
RACE/GENDER
COMMODITY FETISHISM NEO MARXISTS ARGUE
EXPLAINS CRIME, SOME CRIME IS AN ACT
ESPECIALLY IN YOUTH OF DEFIANCE