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Major participants The owners of the means of Conflict takes place everywhere
in conflict production and the workers are between all sorts of interest
engaged in the only conflict that groups.
matters.
Social class Only two classes defined by their There are number of different
relationship to the means of classes in society defined by their
production, the bourgeoisie and relative wealth, status, and power.
proletariat. The aristocracy and the
lumpenproletariat are parasite classes
that will be eliminated.
Table 6.1
Comparing Marxist and Conflict Theory on Major Concepts
Concept Marxist Conflict
Concept of the law It is the tool of the ruling class that The law favors the powerful, but not
criminalizes the activities of the workers any one particular group. The greater
harmful to its interests and ignores its the wealth, power, and prestige a group
own socially harmful behavior. has, the more likely the law will favor
it.
Concept of crime Some view crime as the revolutionary Conflict theorists refuse to pass moral
actions of the downtrodden, others view judgment because they view criminal
it as the socially harmful acts of “class conduct as morally neutral with no
traitors,” and others see it as violations intrinsic properties that distinguish it
of human rights. from conforming behavior. Crime
doesn’t exist until a powerful interest
group is able to criminalize the
activities of another less powerful
group.
Cause of crime The dehumanizing conditions of The distribution of political power that
capitalism. Capitalism generates egoism leads to some interest groups being
and alienates people from themselves and able to criminalize the acts of other
from others. interest groups.
Cure for crime With the overthrow of the capitalist As long as people have different
mode of production, the natural goodness interests and as long as some groups
of humanity will emerge, and there will be have more power than others, crime
no more criminal behavior. will exist. Since interest and power
differentials are part of the human
condition, crime will always be with us.
Postmodernist Theory