CRIM 2650 2020-2021
WINTER TERM THEORY PAPER INSTRUCTIONS
Examine the following reports about Temporary Foreign Workers in Canada from the lenses of
A) Marxist Criminology B) Feminist Criminology C) Intersectional Criminology:
• MWAC (2020) “Unheeded Warnings: COVID-19 and Migrant Workers”, The Migrant
Worker’s Alliance for Change, https://migrantworkersalliance.org/wp-
content/uploads/2020/06/Unheeded-Warnings-COVID19-and-Migrant-Workers.pdf
o See also the CBC coverage of the report: Harris, K (2020) “Exploitation, abuse,
health hazards rise for migrant workers during COVID-19, group says” CBC News,
8 June, https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/migrant-workers-farm-deaths-report-
1.5602596
• Weiler, A., & Cohen, A. (2018). Migrant farm workers vulnerable to sexual violence. The
Conversation, May 1. https://theconversation.com/migrant-farm-workers-vulnerable-
to-sexual-violence-95839
This assignment is designed to assess the following skills:
• The ability to do close readings of the theoretical texts
• The ability to put theoretical perspectives in conversation with one another
• The ability to pinpoint the strengths and limitations of theories
Writing Tips. & Formatting Instructions
• Treat these reports as if they were parts of a single large report about the Temporary
Foreign Workers in Canada.
• You can draw sections from the CBC Coverage of the MWAC report. However, please
make sure that you primarily use the main report.
• Apply the main concepts and themes of the theories to analyze the relevant empirical
issues in the reports.
• Try to pinpoint the strengths and limitations of theories in explaining specific issues in
the reports, and try to put them in dialogue.
o For instance, explain which elements in the reports can be adequately explained
by Marxist Criminology (by which Marxist concepts/themes), which may not be
fully or adequately explained by Marxist Criminology (explain why), and state
which other theory (e.g. Feminist or Intersectional Criminology) can better
explain those elements. Follow the same format also for Feminist Criminology
and Intersectional Criminology.
• Spend no more than 1-2 sentences summarizing the contents of the reports. The rest of
the assignment should be your analysis of the reports.
• Your paper should be 5-7 pages (excluding bibliography). Writing within these tight page
constraints requires that you write as succinctly and as concisely as possible. This might
require several drafts.
• Please follow the formatting instructions in your syllabus.
• Please organize your paper in essay format and cite appropriate course material.
• Your paper will be marked on content and style.
• You can use lecture notes. However, please provide citation if you do. Lecture notes
include both PowerPoint slides and everything the Professor says in the lecture.
• Plagiarism is a serious academic offence. Please see the Academic Integrity Checklist
before submitting your essay:
http://www.yorku.ca/spark/academic_integrity/Academic%20Integrity%20Checklist.pdf
• This is not a group assignment. Please work individually. If you are caught submitting
similar papers or plagiarizing, you will fail this course and you will be charged with
plagiarism.
• If you are planning to submit a reading entry for the intersectionality week, your reading
entry should be on a topic other than temporary foreign workers in Canada.
Submission Instructions
• Please upload the electronic copy of your assignment to Turnitin on eClass by February
25, 2021 at 10PM. Assignments that are submitted after this date will be considered
late. Please read the “Late Policy” section in your course syllabus.
UNDERSTANDING PERSPECTIVES OF CRIMINOLOGY
By
Course
Tutor
Institution
City
Date
Understanding Perspectives of Criminology
Several available criminology theories do not fully explain the delinquencies and the abnormal behaviours of girls. In many of these significant theories, there is a degree of bias focused on males concerning misbehaviours. Due to the several evidence available in offending women and girls, there is a need for the model of women liberations to explore women delinquency. Many of the relationships and victimization between female crimes and the experiences have been ignored in the public institutions that offer justice. These institutions mainly focus more on disadvantaged males. Similarly, the role played by the child justice system in the female delinquency sexualization, and illegalization of the survival strategies of women have been missed. The juvenile action systems must be understood to be the primary reasons girls and women undergo oppression. They have used these actions from juvenile justice systems to strengthen the obedience of the young ladies to the patriarchal authority demand regardless of how arbitrary and abusive. Several immigrant women undergo oppression mainly because of race and gender discrimination.
Many immigrant women from Mexico working through (SWAP) Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program in Canada has filed reports against their bosses sexually assaulting them. For instance, Terresa, a single mother from Mexico, California, who has been working with the SWAP program, filed a report of sexual assault to the justice systems (Weiler & Cohen, 2018, 1). The incident occurred one day when Terresa’s male co-workers were sent to work on another farm. They were left only two of them (her and another female worker). The boss sexually assaulted her and wanted to give her some cash to buy her silence. When the matter reached the judge, the case was dismissed. The judged claimed that there is no enough evidence. Several women working under the SWAP programs have been assaulted sexually but fear reporting the matter since no serious actions will be taken on the accused, and therefore, they run a risk of losing their jobs. Terresa was afraid that her reporting the matter may hurt her together with her female co-worker (Weiler & Cohen, 2018, 3). The male bosses in these farms use their positions to harass the female workers sexually, and they are not punished. Therefore, the rule should be developed to protect all females against these kinds of assaults. The assaults may arise due to gender or race. The law will act as an intersectional approach that guides judges on how to offer justice due to interconnected cases such as abuse due to race and gender. Intersectional criminology is a theoretic method that imposes reflection on the effect of interconnected statuses and identities of groups and individuals with respect to their social crime control, experience with crime, and any issues related to crime. The process is called demarginalization of the intersection of sex and race.
Many immigrant women from Mexico who are employed through the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SWAP) in Canada have filed complaints against their supervisors for sexual harassment and assault. For example, Terresa, a single mother from Mexico, California, who has been working with the SWAP program, has filed a report of sexual assault with the appropriate authorities and agencies (Weiler & Cohen, 2018, 1). Terresa’s male co-workers were transferred to another farm one day, and the incident occurred as a result of their transfer. There were only two of them left in the group (her and another female worker). Her boss had sexually assaulted her and desired to purchase her silence with a large sum of money. When the case reached the courtroom, the judge ruled that it should be dismissed. The judge asserted that there is insufficient evidence to proceed. Several women employed by the SWAP programs have been sexually assaulted, but they are afraid to report the incident because they believe no serious action will be taken against the perpetrators, and as a result, they run the risk of losing their jobs. Terresa was concerned that reporting the incident would result in her and her female co-worker being victimized (Weiler & Cohen, 2018, 3). The male bosses on these farms take advantage of their positions to sexually harass the female workers, and they are not held accountable. Because of this, legislation should be drafted to protect all females from these types of assaults. Gender or race discrimination may be a factor in the assaults. The law will serve as an intersectional approach that will guide judges on how to provide justice in cases that are interconnected, such as abuse that is based on race and gender identity. When it comes to social crime control, experience with crime, and any other issues related to crime, intersectional criminology is a theoretical method that requires reflection on the effect of interconnected statuses and identities of groups and individuals in relation to their social crime control, experience with crime, and any other issues related to crime. The process of demarginalization of the intersection of sex and race is referred to as demarginalization of the intersection of sex and race.
Furthermore, the immigrant workers in Canada undergo oppression, mistreatment, and discrimination because of race. The associations fighting for migrant works in Canada receive complaints from several workers on different issues, such as working in crowded conditions during COVOD 19 period (MWAC, 2020, 2). The working conditions did not allow for physical distancing. The workers also complained of lack of access to protective equipment and lack of access to appropriate hygienic food and diet during the quarantine. The poor and unhygienic working conditions led to the deaths of two migrant men. Similarly, over a hundred workers have also been infected with the virus. The working conditions of the migrants is deplorable and unfavourable compared to those of the Canadian citizens. The migrants are neglected and ignored just because they are not from Canada. They are provided with minimal wages. Their minimal salaries cannot allow them to access proper protective equipment and adequate meals. Sometimes women may undergo oppression and suffering because they are from a different race. They receive oppression and suffering similar to those of men of the same race. Whereas, sometime they may undergo oppression because of their gender, for instance, sexual assaults. In this case, the migrant female workers may suffer in the same way the female citizens are suffering (Potter, 2015, 308). The type of oppression and assaults female workers undergo can be attributed to intersectional criminology. Women can be assaulted due to gender and race.
Moreover, poor working conditions, low payments, and mistreatment at work may drive a person towards being a criminal. Engel and Marx explain one can develop immoral behaviors and criminality (Weis, 2017, 15). They state that immoral behaviour is adopted and raised by the circumstances of the working class’s life. When the worker is poor, they are denied all the working-class pleasures, and they think life has nothing to offer them (Weis, 2017, 15). With all these feelings, the worker may get themselves in the wrong way as they may try to join the criminal world to satisfy their needs. The workers at this point do not fear the consequences of their actions and the penalties that the low may bring on them. Because of the working condition, they stop restraining their wicked desires and tries to take anything they may find. The poor and low payment gives them a reason to steal as they take part of their employer’s property for themselves. Sorrow and suffering due to poverty provide them with limited choices (Harris, 2020, 10). The choices are either to kill themselves quickly, starve slowly, or to take anything they need where they find it. The majority always go for the last option, which is to steal instead of starving to death. Marx and Engels give an apparent reason why some working people may prefer getting into a criminal world instead of starving to death as they work in a low environment with limited wages.
The most evident indication of the emancipated worker’s disapproval of the available social order is how they break the law. Currently, there are several working-class individuals that have turned into criminals. When the workers are demoralized to a particular point, they will naturally turn into criminals. For instance, a banker who handles money on a daily basis yet is underpaid is more likely to turn into a criminal. The banker may decide to steal part of the funds he handles to satisfy his personal needs and lifestyle. It is challenging for the banker to withstand the stealing urge if he does not have enough income to take care of himself. Considering how workers are treated by their masters or employers, they will lose all the good intentions they had, and they will be forced to blindly follow the laws of nature. This is the time when the employee has no power to withstand the stealing temptation. Subsequently, the crime incidences have raised due to the growth of the population of the working class. The number of individuals taken to trial in the whole world has considerably increased in the current years. The increase rate may be due to the high level of education, which increases the number of workers. Similarly, the workers will be employed at a lower salary because of the increased competition levels (Weis, 2017, 10). Therefore, criminal punishments should be given depending on whether an individual may be working class or not.
Besides, females in the current world may give in to sexual assaults because of the competition in workplaces. The boss may promise to offer the woman job in exchange for sex. Some bosses may threaten to fire the female worker if they report a sexual assault to the justice institutions (Chesney-Lind, 1989. 7). Because of the high number of qualified workers globally, there is significant competition for jobs. Bosses, therefore, may take advantage of this and sexually assault female workers without getting any punishment. In the current world, every person fights only for himself and their interests. The social war has already been waged. Every individual goes for what they want, not caring whether, in so doing, they injure another person. Works may be corrupt just to have the additional cash into their pockets. Those working in the profession of criminal justice sometimes are bribed to give judgements leaning on one side. People get into these actions, such as bribery and stealing, without caring if the deeds are to their advantage or not. It does not matter if an individual gets into a friendly understanding with his neighbour. All opinion differences today are settled by invoking or threatening courts. Some people even take the law into their hands in handling their differences.
The feminists criticize perspectives criminology saying that females and males differ in the crime paths. Therefore, investigations that mainly uses gender as a control variable always fail to clarify the circumstances that predict criminality of female. The main strength of feminist criminology is that they use qualitative and quantitative approaches to determine female criminality. The feminists consider diversity in gender, race, and ethnicity in the study of girls and crime (Chesney-Lind,, 1989, 20). They also consider international and cross-cultural standpoints on females and crime. The feminists always focus on how offenders who are female are always treated the criminal justice institutions. Feminists also consider how girls and women are always victimized. This criminology perspective also focuses on how females working in the criminal justice profession always offer their judgements and rulings.
Terresa’s case can be explained batter by intersectional criminology. Sexual harassment may be mainly due to race or gender discrimination. The boss may have assaulted Terresa and other migrant women sexually because they are an inferior race who came out of Canada. Similarly, he may have sexually assaulted Terresa because she is a woman, and the boss sees women as inferior beings who have no say in anything. Besides, several assault cases in the report can be described by Marxist criminology. Because of the high competition present in the job market, the assaulted women were afraid of reporting to their bosses. They were fearful of losing their jobs. Sometimes the bosses used their power and positions to manipulate justice institutions to give judgements in their favour.
In summary, no criminology theory explains the cause of a crime and how they should be punished. Intersectional, feminist, and Marxist criminology try to describe why individuals may prefer getting into a criminal world. All of them agree that many individuals may get into the criminal world due to poor working conditions and low wages. Intersectional criminology explains that some crimes should be punished as an intersection. This is because they may rise due to crossing of gender or race discrimination.
Bibliography
Brock, D., Glasbeek, A. and Murdocca, C., 2014. Criminalization, Representation, Regulation: Thinking Differently about Crime. University of Toronto Press.
Chesney-Lind, M., 1989. Girls’ crime and woman’s place: Toward a feminist model of female delinquency. Crime & Delinquency, 35(1), pp.5-29.
Harris, K., 2020. “Exploitation, abuse, health hazards rise for migrant workers during COVID-19, group says” CBC News, 8 June, https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/migrant-workers-farm-deaths-report- 1.5602596
MWAC, 2020. “Unheeded Warnings: COVID-19 and Migrant Workers”, The Migrant Worker’s Alliance for Change. https://migrantworkersalliance.org/wp- content/uploads/2020/06/Unheeded-Warnings-COVID19-and-Migrant-Workers.pdf
Potter, H., 2013. Intersectional criminology: Interrogating identity and power in criminological research and theory. Critical Criminology, 21(3), pp.305-318.
Weiler, A., & Cohen, A., 2018. Migrant farm workers vulnerable to sexual violence. The Conversation, May 1. https://theconversation.com/migrant-farm-workers-vulnerable- to-sexual-violence-95839
Weis, V.V., 2017. Marxism and criminology: A history of criminal selectivity. Brill.
