Identify some key points of a Marxist explanation of the amplification of deviance.
Name at least two Marxist sociologists to support your points and use Marxist concepts.

Marxism

  • Althusser argued the mass media was part of the Ideological State Apparatus. This together with other areas of society such as education and religion help to reinforce that society is ‘fair’. It supports the economic base and leads to the working class having a false class consciousness.
  • Hall argues that the creation of folk devils and moral panics serve to divert the attention of society from major issues. For example the so called increase in mugging in the 1970s diverted attention away from the crisis that was occurring in capitalism and the rise in unemployment at the time. The moral panic about mugging frightened people. This fear allowed the bourgeoisie to use black people as scapegoats for unemployment.
  • Deviancy amplification serves to divide society thereby enabling the bourgeoisie to maintain control. The media effectively distracts people from poverty, poor housing, unemployment all of which lead to social inequalities in society.
  • The proletariat agree to increase policing which inevitably leads to increased control of the proletariat.

Functionalism

  • The media is part of a pluralist society, no one person, group or organisation control it. There is no evidence that the bourgeoisie intentionally create moral panics in order to exercise greater control over people.
  • It offers the opportunity for people to have their say.
  • Moral panics occur because the social issues they are predicated on really do exist and people are really concerned.

You should add the names of sociologists to support the three bullet points above.