Conflict Theories PDF

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Lectures about the Conflict Theory. ...

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● Critical / Conflict Theories ○ Central theme - Crime is a label attached to a behavior of the less powerful ○ Powerful groups control labelling → protects vested interests ○ Conflict over right and wrong ○ Crime is a response to inequitable conditions ■ Capitalism is root of crime ● Winners = business owners ○ Similar to labelling theory ○ Theories that question the power and dominance in the law ■ Our criminal justice system ■ Not concerned with cause of crime ○ Law = Mode for social control ○ Criminal justice system = exerts more social control ■ More control over oppressed groups ■ Privilege and freedom to the powerful ● Not needing to be controlled ○ Question what? ■ How do we even define crime? ○ Class conflict - Theory of Surplus Value

■ Working class produce goods exceeding wages in value ■ Creates profit ● Goes to owners ■ Conflict of interest b/w workers and owners ● Quinney’s Conflict Theory ○ Social Reality of Crime - six propositions, relation between crime and social order ■ 1. Crime designed by authorized agents ■ 2. Definitions describe behaviors that conflict with interests of powerful ■ 3. Applied by those in power ■ 4. Behaviors are patterned/structured by definitions ● Relative risk of labeling ■ 5. Concepts of crime made known to citizens ● Social media, news media, TV ■ 6. Process creates social reality of crime ○ Class State and Crime - focus on struggle of proletariat class ■ Crime is an inevitable response to material conditions of capitalism ○ Quinney on working class ■ Crimes of accommodation

● Predatory / Street Crime ■ Crimes of resistance ● Acts of rebellion (alcoholism, fighting, destroying property) ■ Taken together = crimes by powerless ○ Quinney on the ruling class ■ Crimes of domination and repression ● Corporate crime, violation of civil liberties, political crime by state...