labelling theory

Question 1

what is labelling theory also called

Answer 1

• interactionist theory

Question 2

what do labelling theorists argue about crime and deviance

Answer 2

• it’s not the act itself which makes it deviant, but society’s reaction to the act.

Question 3

what does becker describe a deviant as

Answer 3

• someone who has been labelled as deviant
• labels are based on gender, class and the ethnicity

Question 4

what does Cicourel believe

Answer 4

• negotiation of justice
• the police’s stereotypes of the typical criminal lead them to concentrate on different types of people that are more likely to offend – working class

Question 5

What are Lemert’s two types of deviance

Answer 5

• primary deviance —- deviant acts that have not been labelled as crimal
• secondary deviance - deviant acts and individuals that are labelled. Once someone has been labelled they may only be seen according to the label or their master status, which may lead to a deviant career.
  (black boys being criminal)

Question 6

What is Braithwaite’s theory?

Answer 6

• reintegrative and disintegrative shaming
  -reintegrative — punishment that strengthens their bonds with society
  -disintegrative – punishment that isolates the individual

Question 7

What do labelling theorists believe about mental illness?

Answer 7

• labelling theorists believe labelling someone as mentally ill can lead to the mental illness being worsened, or even created.
• Rosenham’s insane asylum experiment