Explanation
Marxism is based on the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels and views history as shaped by material conditions and class conflict. It posits that capitalist societies are divided into a bourgeoisie (owners of production) and a proletariat (working class), with laws, institutions, and ideologies serving the interests of the ruling class. In criminology, Marxist theories argue that crime and punishment reflect structural inequalities and serve to maintain capitalist order.
Theoretical Reference
Marxism underpins many Critical Criminology approaches, especially those that examine how economic structures produce crime and how legal systems maintain class-based control.