Topic 5: Interactionist explanations of crime

Question 1

Howard Becker 1963 (crime)

Answer 1

there’s a process to becoming labelled as deviant/criminal

‘deviant behaviour is behaviour that people so label’
PRIMARY DEVIANCE: most people commit criminal/deviant acts
SECONDARY DEVIANCE: only some are caught and stigmatised

5 stages:
1. Moral entrepreneur attaches label to act of secondary deviance
2. Labelled person may accept label
3. Label may become master status
4. Self-fulfilling prophecy may occur
5. Individual may have power to reject label and negotiate own identity

outlawing of cannabis in USA 1937 - MORAL CRUSADE

Question 2

Cicourel on crime

Answer 2

negotiation of justice - labelling of deviance is NOT simple/clear-cut/unproblematic. Involves complex series of interactions based on sets of meanings held by participants

official police stats not always accurate of true crime…

3 stages of dealing w delinquents:

Stop/interrogate 🛑, based on behaviour interpreted as SUSPICIOUS 🤨
Arrest 👮‍♀️, based on suspect’s appearance/manner/replies 🗣
Probation officer 👮‍♂️ assesses suspect based on picture of ‘typical delinquent’ (‘broken home’, bad attitude, low grades etc)
Behaviour of individual has huge effect of label 🏷 placed upon them.
WORKING CLASS MORE LIKELY TO BE NEGATIVELY LABELLED!
middle class: polite, apologetic 😊, parents more likely to convince po it won’t happen again

Question 3

Stanley Cohen

Answer 3

DEVIANCY AMPLIFICATION SPIRAL 🌀 : media exaggerates deviance, gets blown out of proportion and panics society

MORAL PANIC 😧 : ‘a condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests’

FOLK DEVIL 😈 : someone whose behaviour is considered a threat to social order

60s: mass media produced DISTORTED IMAGE of disturbances between mods and rockers in Clacton 1964
—> rival gangs “hell-bent on destruction” not only exaggerated deviance but caused more deviance

Question 4

Philips and Bowling

Answer 4

SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY of black people as criminals

negative treatment of black people by CJS —> black community feels hostility towards CJS —> high crime rates amongst black people

crime = expression of hostility 🤬 felt to CJS because of negative labelling