Colvin, Mark, and John Pauly: a Structural Marxist theory of delinquency

Lori Elis

In their integrated structural-Marxist theory of delinquency , Mark Colvin and John Pauly offer an explanation of the process that leads to repeated involvement in serious property and violent delinquency. Colvin and Pauly believed that no single theory of crime adequately explained this process; therefore, they proposed an integrated theory that incorporates elements of Marxist and traditional theories of crime. They offer a class-based theory that assumes that position within the social class structure predicts participation in frequent, serious delinquent behavior. Structural-Marxist perspectives address the organization of the social class structure under capitalism and define class in relation to the means of production. However, structural Marxists do not believe that social classes represent monolithic groups, composed of members who pursue the same goals in concert with one another. Rather, structural Marxists contend that there is competition, both between and within classes, over resources. Therefore, social classes can be subdivided. The ...

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