As defined, conflict theory is a Marxist-based social theory which argues that individuals and groups within society have differing amounts of material and nonmaterial resources (the wealthy vs. the poor) and that the more powerful groups use their power in order to exploit groups with less power. This theory also can be applied to common social situations especially to crimes and other deviant acts or situations. As I’ve read and analyze this theory, I learned that people in different social classes compete for the available resources.
For me, through this, people learn to be competitive and fight for their rights and for the things or resources that they need but there is an explanation in this theory that people who are in the upper or in the middle class, which is obviously have their resources, abuse the weaknesses of those people in the lower class or the poor because they know that lower class people need the resources they have which is for me, a negative impact in the term “equality”.
And this is the reason why poor people have a big possibility in committing crimes rather than the upper-middle class people. But it depends also because the social justice system is somewhat in favor of the upper-middle class people. They did heavy punishment for the poor or the lower class people when they commit crimes but when the upper-middle class people also commit crimes, most of the time, they didn’t punish them or if they did, the punishment is not that heavy.
So as a result, the upper-middle class people will have the confident to do it all over again. For example, street crimes, even minor monetary ones are routinely punished quite severely, while large scale financial and business crimes are treated much more leniently. And this is just one cause why “equality” is lessening its importance. People in this world, whether in the upper-middle class or in the lower class, should for me, help each other.
When someone is in need of help, then others who are capable of giving help should help to avoid that person in committing crimes just to fulfill or satisfy his/her needs and also to give importance to equality. In this world, there will be no one who will help each other but us. There is no problem in giving help and receiving help from others but as people, we should also try to be independent and whatever way we choose to do in order to satisfy our needs, we should always bear in mind that it should not affect other people and that it is the right way and right thing to do.
