Late Twentieth Century: Theoretical Perspectives Of Conflict Theories

Social turmoil throughout the late twentieth century fueled theoretical perspectives of conflict theorists. Essentially, conflict theory focuses on the various struggles between individuals and groups as a product of power variation (Lilly, Cullen, & Ball, 2015). While conflict theorists maintain individualized beliefs about crime, there is a centralized theme in that capitalism is a significant motivator of criminal behavior. Prior to the popularity of conflict theories, Marx and Engels (1848/1992) expressed their concerns over the reduction of social solidarity throughout society (Lilly et al., 2015). They argued that crime, was the result of this decline, and that the only way to reduce crime was by regaining social solidarity (Lilly …show more content…
Under this assumption, humans are inherently social and crime was a product of unfavorable environments that distorted human nature (Lilly et al., 2015). These unfavorable environments were established through capitalism, in that it created clear distinctions between the rulers and the ruled, which resulted in much tension and conflict throughout society (Lilly et al., 2015). Bonger (1916/1969) claimed that human nature was distorted in unfavorable environments by “egoism”, that made people more capable of engaging in crime (Lilly et al., 2015). He felt that egoism could not be eliminated by social controls that bonded individuals with society because a society under capitalism was the primary cause of egoism (Lilly et al., 2015). Bonger’s research indicated that much crime was the result of poverty generated by capitalism, while noting that those in power also engaged in criminal behavior (Lilly et al., 2015). Essentially, an economic system that is centralized around egoism creates crime, and the only way to restore favorable environments and eliminate crime is to abolish capitalism and redistribute power and wealth throughout society (Lilly et al.,