Impact of the Communist Manifesto on the Functions of Criminal Behavior

 The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, aimed for a utopian society based on the principles of communism, which included the abolishment of the private society, with the establishment of a classless society (Marx & Engels, 1848). One without exploitation. He believed the working class would overthrow the upper class and establish communism.

 The abolition of the family and free education for every child in public schools could be two measures of the Communist Manifesto that could have both positive and negative impacts in the case of criminal behavior. Abolition of the family can lead to a lack of moral guidance and, subsequently, create antisocial behavior and increase domestic violence due to the lack of patterns in children (Marx & Engels, 1848). The court system considers factors such as family & ties in the community, when determining bail or conditions of release, suggesting that strong family ties can be a protective factor against criminal behavior.

However, single parenthood and non-traditional family structures could reduce the social stigma attached to them, leading to a more inclusive and supportive community that could help prevent criminal behavior (Marx, 1998). Erving Goffman notes that external factors like community attitudes and local culture influence the court system's operations. In addition, some of the courtroom workers are from the same region where they work. This makes it easier for local opinion to interfere with their decision-making.

However, one of the ways criminal behaviors can be reduced is by introducing free education. Children will be equipped with the necessary skills to help them without using criminal tactics or illegal behaviors out of frustration. Social solidarity is determined by social integration which will reduce criminal behaviors (SOC 338 Group 1, slide 13). In addition, this will bring a sense of understanding and empathy among children and young people hence, the chances of being provoked into criminal behaviors will be lower. One of the ways to determine bail and conditions is the employment history of an individual. This means an employed person is safer as well as an educated one who is not likely to act out of ignorance serving as protection.

Nevertheless, having free education is also associated with some negative impacts. One of them is, that if the quality of free education is lower, it might not address the intended issue of criminal behaviors and issues associated with it (Manuel, 2021). In this case, education might not be a solution to criminal behaviors meaning, different interventions must be employed to address the issue. The idea of progress prosecution focuses on addressing the root causes of criminal behaviors and the relation to the criminal justice system with other humanitarian values (SOC 338 Group 2, slide 2). If there is a well-designed and equipped education system, then it will be easier to achieve the goal. If the quality of education remains the same and does not address the issue of inequality, and poverty, its impact may be limited (Ho, 2019). Verstehen emphasizes the importance of employing empathy to understand the reason behind an action. Again, the underlying local economic conditions and the issue of inequality affect the court system. This is a clear indication that education might not fully address the underlying issue of criminal cases.

In conclusion, even though we will eradicate the family structure and offer a free education system. The results might be positive or negative. The effectiveness of the education depends on its quality and consideration of other contextual factors. Other external factors must be considered.

References

Ho, R. (2019, May 16). Want to Dismantle Capitalism? Abolish the Family. Www.thenation.com. https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/want-to-dismantle-capitalism-abolish-the-family/#:~:text=Arguably%20the%20most%20infamous

Manuel, F. E. (2021). A requiem for Karl Marx. In Exit from Communism (pp. 1-20). Routledge.

Marx, K. (1998). The Communist Manifesto: A Modern Edition by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels. Challenge, 41(3), 113–117. https://doi.org/10.1080/05775132.1998.11472036

Marx, K., & Engels, F. (1848). The Communist Manifesto. Penguin Classics

McNicholus, William (n.d.). SOCIOLOGY 338: CRIMINAL COURTS [PowerPoint slides Group 2].

McNicholus, William (n.d.). SOCIOLOGY 338: CRIMINAL COURTS [PowerPoint slides Group 1].