THE MARXIST VIEW ON DEVIANCE AND NON CONFORMITY

By Wilbert Masamba

The Marxist/Conflict interpretation on the nature and causes of deviance should be looked at in the overall context of the Marxist analysis of the way and manner in which a capitalist society operates. Deviance in this context is seen to arise from the way a capitalist system operates. You recall that in a capitalist society there are basically two social classes with different access to ownership of the means of production. The bourgeoisie are a minority in a capitalist society. They own the means of production .The proletariat, that is, the workers only own their labour power. Capitalists who are the bourgeoisie in this case, are driven by profit motives. This gives rise to a situation where the proletariats are paid less than the value of their labour.

 Workers or the proletariat produce commodities which are sold by the bourgeoisie who retain all the profits for their own use. They sell this labour power on the labour market in return for a wage which may not satisfy their needs. This produces tension; antagonism and conflict between the two social classes since the bourgeoisie exploit the proletariat. 

Social institutions in the superstructure of a capitalist society disseminate bourgeois values and ideology that legitimise the unequal distribution of wealth in a capitalist society. This is the reason why Althusser in Kirby et al. (1997) refers to these institutions as Ideological State Apparatus. These institutions include: education,family, politics, legal system, religion and the economy. Subordinate groups in a capitalist society have to embrace values of the dominant class. Therefore, in a capitalist society, wealth is unequally distributed. The class which has a monopoly over the ownership of the means of production has economic power which translates to political power. This class becomes the ruling class in society. It makes every attempt to consolidate its power as well as protecting its interests.

 According to Kirby et al. (1997) orthodox Marxists contend that capitalism is itself a crime and it causes crime. The set up of a capitalist system creates greed, violence and corruption which are the only means of survival for some (Moore,1991). 

Henslin (2003) is of the view that the ruling class, which is the powerful elite, makes certain that laws are passed to protect its power. In the same vein Quinney (1980) in Schaefer (2004) is of the view that the criminal justice system serves the interests of the powerful. Laws after all, are mechanisms where some group establishes control over the activities of other groups (Sullivan, 2002).

Therefore, the dominant group, in this case the bourgeoisie, puts in place rules, laws and regulations which are primarily meant to protect their interests. These rules and regulations are imposed on the subordinate group who should conform to these rules and regulations.

Failure to conform to these rules and regulations results in arrests and maybe imprisonment.

Remember that according to Althusser the dominance of the ruling class in society is enhanced by the Repressive State Apparatus which includes the police, security services and at times the legal system. The Repressive State Apparatus ensures that everybody in society conforms to set rules and laws.

 In the Zimbabwean situation, can you think of laws that enhance the dominance of the bourgeoisie?

The issue of dominant values needs to be considered. Marx was of the view that in every historical epoch, ruling class ideas are the dominant ideas and values. So there is a need to analyse whose values are considered to be important in a capitalist society. Marxist scholars

Generally agree that the values of the dominant group, the bourgeoisie are considered Important and are imposed on subordinate groups in society. Those who deviate from these values are considered to be deviant. Moore (1991) argues that society is seen as torn between competing bourgeoisie and proletarian values. The power of the bourgeoisie and their ownership of the media play crucial roles in perpetuating the values of the bourgeoisie.

Deviant behaviour consists of activities which the ruling class defines as wrong, immoral or illegal. From a Marxist viewpoint, what is considered deviant is created by agents of the dominant class in a capitalist society. These agents include the law enforcement officers and the legal system.  The Marxist approach sees deviants as normal people. In most cases, deviants are seen as threats to the power of the ruling class. Marxists argue that the definition of what is criminal reflects capitalist values.

The issue of power takes centre stage. In a capitalist society it has been observed that the law is applied to the less powerful such as the young and working class groups. White collar crime in large corporations may not be given prominence.

 In summary, it can be said that it is the powerful who determine deviant and non deviant behaviour. (Moore, 1991).

REFERENCES

Gelfand, M. (1999). The genuine Shona: Survival values of an African culture. Gweru: Mambo

Press.

Giddens, A. (1997). Sociology. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Goode, E. (1997),. Deviant Behaviour. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.

Haralambos, M. & Holborn, M. (1995). Sociology: Themes and Perspectives. London: Collins Educational.

Henslin, J.M. (2003). Sociology: A Down To Earth Approach. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Kirby, M. (et al.) (1997). Sociology. London: Heinemann.

Moore, S. (1991). Investigating Deviance. London: Collins Educational.

Sullivan, TJ. (2002). Sociology: Concepts and Applications in a Diverse World. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.