CRM 3301 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Marxism, Positivism, Structural Marxism

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Criminology
• Course: CRM 3301
• Professor: Baljit Nagra

Document Summary

A critique of orthodox or mainstream criminological theories: reject crime being used as a political agenda. An anti-essential conception of human identity, including deviant identity: reject idea of: if you"re muslim terrorist. A description of deviance as a social product of social construction: reject gender roles. An ideological view that deviance and its control are inextricably linked to power dynamics in society. Utilize critical views about the origin of crime and deviance. Trace the origins of crime and deviance to an unequal and unjust social and economic order. Demonstrate that capitalism is a mode of production that is riddled with contradictions that create conflict and crime. Shift the attention away from positivistic theories of crime that trace causality to the individual. Industrial capitalism characterized by exploitative and oppressive working conditions. Exploitation and oppression of workers creates a sense of hopelessness. This results in workers more likely to commit specific types of crimes such as stealing from the wealthy.