How Criminal Justice Systems Create Crime: Labelling and Marxism

This essay explores the concept of crime creation by the criminal justice system through the lens of labelling theory and Marxist criminology. Labelling theory posits that society's labels, whether positive or negative, influence an individual's behavior and self-perception, with factors like race, ethnicity, religion, and gender playing a role. Marxist criminology, on the other hand, focuses on the political and economic structures that define crime and social order, emphasizing power dynamics and social control. While labelling theory examines how individuals are tagged as criminals, Marxist criminology investigates the broader societal forces that shape criminal definitions and enforcement. Both theories acknowledge the role of society in defining crime, but differ in their focus: labelling theory on the individual's experience and Marxist criminology on the structural causes of crime. Desklib offers a platform to find more such essays and solved assignments.

The criminal justice system
designates some people as
criminal and in doing so
creates crime Discuss this
statement with reference to
both labelling t

Table of Contents
Labelling & Marxist theory.............................................................................................................3
Labelling Theory.........................................................................................................................3
Marxist criminology....................................................................................................................3
Comparison and contrast.............................................................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

Labelling & Marxist theory
Labelling Theory
The labelling theory is a concept which is portrayed upon various beliefs of society over label
people. It is mostly revolving around half are the labelled people are being treated by the society
upon whether positive or negative terms taking into consideration all the circumstances which
are in regard to dealing with people (Becker, 2018). Sometimes the factors that will fall in this
regard include race ethnicity religion and gender. There are three types of labelling theory that
are being developed which include self-defining has cried and achieved. The behavioural change
is one of the entities that will decide upon the labelling of a person and it will be constituted for
deriving the entity of an individual.
Marxist criminology
One of the components of schools of criminology is Marxist criminology. It consists of a
predefined political philosophy which is different from other functionalities of the society. This
particular component will deal with the kind of factors that will include reasons for change as
well as various set of identifications that will act as disruptive forces in the society (Block,
2021). The thematic representation as well as the theoretical context that is in relation to social
structural arrangement is being portrayed in this particular theory. It accounts for general
disempowerment of political power substantially. This particular theory emphasizes upon the
fact that there will be a social order that is required in order to move ahead with an efficient
functionality in regard to socialization process.
Comparison and contrast
The labelling theory will not particularly focus upon the reason for behavioral change in a person
that is term to be labelled. The Marxist criminology theory will focus upon all the important
components that are acting as change driver and behavioral aspects of criminal definitions that
will fall under the enforcement of people who are dealing with it. The Marxist criminology
theory will reflect upon the crime and criminals capitalising various perceptions of how they
undergo different processes of the society (Hart, 2018). The labelling theory is entitled where to
the personification of identifying a person as criminal whereas the Marxist criminology theory
will revolve around how far the criminal aspects of a person are being dealt. Although both are
going hand-in-hand yet there is a contrast which is pertaining particularly to labelling theory
which is defined by the kind of tag that is been given to a person which is more to be labelled.

This labelling theory is defined to be one of the richest prospect of criminology and most of the
criminals do possess a label which will help them to stand distinct in the entire society. The role
of society is considered to be one of the detrimental factor that will classify a certain behaviour
and both the theories will reflect upon this formulation of determination (Hart, 2018). Whether it
is any kind of distinction when the society declared it to be a crime then the instance will be
termed as a crime. Based on the negotiations of the society both the theories are interrelated in
defining the choices of individual who is labelled.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Becker, 2018. Labelling theory reconsidered 1. In Deviance and social control (pp. 41-66).
Routledge.
Block, 2021. The ruling class does not rule: Notes on the Marxist theory of the state. In The
Political Economy (pp. 32-46). Routledge.
Hart, 2018. Relational comparison revisited: Marxist postcolonial geographies in practice.
Progress in Human Geography. 42(3). pp.371-394.
Online
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