Since the 1970s, the field of criminology has produced numerous theories and philosophies that have played a critical role in understanding criminal behavior and crime among them being the radical criminology theory. The fundamental theory suggests that criminal behavior is a product of repressive efforts of the ruling class to control the subject class. The ruling class which comprises of the professional and wealthy use agents such as the states and to protect their interest while at the same time using the privilege to control the subject class economically, politically and socially. The subject class reacts to this kind of restraints by engaging in crime and delinquency as a form of accommodation and protest. These paper addresses the issue of corruption as addressed by the theoretical approach, it's strengths and weaknesses and lastly the most controversial claim about crime raised by the theory.
Crime according to Radical Theory
Radical criminology theory is defined as a theory that takes a Marxist approach in its definition of crime and criminal behavior. Fundamental criminology theory defines crime as “socially harmful actions that violate human rights” (Rock, 2002). According to this theory, these acts are inclusive of street crimes that the subject class commit against themselves and others, and crimes committed by the ruling class to the subject class/ lower class leading them to suffer from pollution, inequality in the distribution of resources, disfranchisement, and exploitation law. Because the ruling class creates laws, the socially harmful acts are generally not clearly defined, and their implications are giving them a fair ground for committing injustices.
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Radical criminology theory views criminal behaviors as a product of inequalities that exist between the ruling class and the subject class. The ruling class encompasses those who own the means of production while the subject class consists of those who are employed in manufacturing. Because no consensus exists in the society regarding fundamental values and interest of individuals, the ruling class takes the opportunity to amass wealth unto themselves leading to the creation of a capitalist society. Instead, capitalism produces greedy, egocentric and predatory behavior. The theory posits that this kind of inequality creates some conflict that causes and defiant behavior ( Winlow & Hall, 2015).
Concerning crime, the radical criminology theory asserts that the justice system is designed and established in a way that it only protects the ruling class, the wealthy and powerful. Usually, laws and law enforcement factors are enacted by the ruling class who have state machinations. The regulations, therefore, tend to penalize behaviors of specific courses, and not individuals because it is them who have the power to pronounce what actions are considered legal or illegal. The powerless and weak are left with the burden of bearing the harsh punishment. The theory further argues that some laws are seriously enforced compared to others. In the capitalist systems, some acts of misconducts and offenses by the members of the ruling class are considered criminal by the rule of law. However, the law enforcement agencies are often reluctant and slow to investigate and prosecute the individuals involved. This is because they are too powerful to buy justice. Furthermore, there are few departments in the police force to conduct thorough economic crimes. Radicals argue that criminologists should not be focused on traditional behaviors that as described by the criminal laws but also the behaviors that result in the violation of human rights. The focus on common crimes committed by the proletariat is meant to divert the attention of the public from the atrocities committed by the ruling class to the powerless.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The radical criminology theory is the different theoretical perspectives such as the labeling theory and the Marxist framework to explicitly define crime and criminal behavior. For instance, radicals borrowed from the labelling theory to define who a criminal is. The labeling theory defines a criminal as a deviant person. The radicals borrowed this concept and strengthened it by looking into factors that shaped the group reaction in determining certain persons as criminals. From the Marxist perspective, the radical theory borrowed the concept of the competitive nature of the capitalist system in creating crime due to class conflict. Thus, the fundamental theory questioned the traditional criminological explanations of why crimes occur emphasizing positivistic methodologies, which entails getting to the root of things and the importance of social reorganization.
One of the significant weaknesses of Radical Criminology theory is its over-reliance on the concept of class in explaining crime. In this age of individualism and common stock ownership, there is no direct relationship between owning the means of production and type. While some class system exists in the world today, these class are no longer defined by this phenomenon as it was during Karl Marx era ( Winslow & Hall, 2015). Thus, radical criminologists have the mandate to explain how class structure, owning means of production and control relate to crime in today’s society. Others argue that those are not reasons enough to cause disenfranchisement among the poor and subsequently crime. The main driving forces generating crime is the deprivation of individualism and disintegration of informal controls and economic change.
Contentious issue
According to the radical criminology theory, crime and criminal behavior can only be solved through a revolutionary change that can completely dismantle the capitalist economic, political and social arrangements. This will ensure that crimes that occur as a result of social inequality are eliminated. This is one most utopian thinking as most of the societies have overthrown capitalism system, but crime has not been eliminated. Moreover, in most societies, the elimination of crime is a function of good enforcement practices rather than dismantling the capitalist system. According to the left realist perspective, crime and criminal behaviors cannot be resolved the dismantling of the capitalist perspective as such kind of reform does not address the real issues ( Lea, 2016). Such improvements will strengthen the capitalist system.
In conclusion, the paper has analyzed the ways through which criminal behavior and crime are created in society through the radical criminology theory. First, the competitive nature of the capitalist system creates inequality. Thus, crime is viewed as a product of serious social problems, economic and political inequality. Second, the pervasive patterns of selective reinforcement of the society make the ruling class continue serious crimes while the poor continue paying for ordinary crimes. Lastly, the criminal label of an individual varies depending on the extent to which the behaviors of the powerless conflict with the interests of the ruling class. Similarly, it has looked at the strengths and weaknesses of the theory.
References
Lea, J. (2016). Left Realism: A radical criminology for the current crisis. International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy , 5 (3), 53-65.
Rock, P. (2002). Sociological theories of crime. The Oxford handbook of criminology , 3 .
Winlow, S., & Hall, S. (2015). Revitalizing Criminological Theory:: Towards a new Ultra-Realism . Routledge.
