Marxist perspectives of crime

👤 Marx (1848): crime is inevitable under capitalism due to exploitation and poverty. Laws serve ruling-class interests, protecting private property.
- Ignores crimes of the working class that harm other workers.
👤 Gordon (1976): crime is a rational response to capitalist inequalities and can be found in all social classes.
- Doesn’t explain why most people obey the law despite inequality.
👤 Chambliss (1975): laws are tools of the ruling class, criminalising working-class behaviour while protecting ruling-class interests.
- Overemphasises class at the expense of gender and ethnicity.
👥 Snell and Tombs (2011) corporate and white-collar crimes are often under-policed and punished less severely than working-class crime.
- Public concern about corporate crime is growing, increasing regulation

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