CRI 205 Chapter Notes - Chapter 11: Marxism, Totalitarianism, Bourgeoisie
Document Summary
Interest in both law and criminal justice and endorses a power-elite model of society in which power is in the hands of a small ruling class in late-stage capitalism highly industrially developed democracies. Capitalism is a two-class system composed of the ruling class (capitalists/bourgeoisie) that owns the means of production vs the proletariat/public, workers, and masses. This power is used to manipulate the legal and criminal justice system to promote the interests of the capitalist class and to perpetuate its position of power. The masses of workers have no power to modify their oppression. This will remain until they destroy the capitalist economy. False class-consciousness is when a worker who does not recognize the interests of the masses and identify with the bourgeoisie. The elite must wage a ceaseless battle to maintain a cultural and ideological hegemony/sovereign control over the ruling ideas of society they manipulate so the masses continue to believe in their system.
