Interactionism + Labelling (Topic 2)

Question 1

Social construction of crime

Answer 1

Labelling theorists argue no act is inherently criminal or deviant all times and only becomes it when others label it as such (society’s reaction)

Question 2

Becker

Answer 2

‘Social groups create deviance by creating the rules whose infraction constitutes deviance and applying those rules to particular people labelling them as outsiders’

Question 3

Moral entrepreneurs

Answer 3

People who lead a moral crusade to change the law which has 2 effects

• Creation of a new group of outsiders
• Creation or expansion of a social control agency to enforce the rule and labels

Question 4

Example

Answer 4

Platt- the idea of juvenile delinquency’ was originally created as a result of a campaign by upper class Victorian moral entrepreneurs ;aimed at protecting young people at risk ,establishing a separate category of offender

Question 5

Factors that contribute to punishment

Answer 5

-Interactions with agencies of social control
-Apperance,background, personal biography
-Situation and circumstance
Labelling theorists look at how laws are applied and enforced

Question 6

Piliavin + Briar

Answer 6

Found that polices decision to arrest youth were mainly based on physical cues where they made judgements about their character

Question 7

Cicourel

Answer 7

Found officers stereotypes of what a delinquent is like led them to concentrate on certain types resulting in a class bias (WC areas most fitted)

Question 8

Example

Answer 8

Probation officers says juvenile delinquency is created by broken homes, poverty and poor parenting ,thinking they were more likely to offend in the future so less likely to support non custodial sentences

Question 9

Negotiation of justice

Answer 9

Justice is therefore negotiable as when a MC youth was arrested they were less likely to be charged due to their background and parents negotiating successfully so only given a warning

Question 10

Crime statistics

Answer 10

Cicourel argues official crime statistics do not give a valid picture of crime so cannot be used as a resource instead a topic to investigate to find activities of control agencies of how they label someone

Question 11

The dark figure of crime

Answer 11

The difference between the real and official statistics is called the dark figure as we are uncertain about the amount of crime that is undetected, unreported etc

Question 12

Alternative statistics

Answer 12

Some sociologists use victim surveys or self report surveys to gain a more accurate view however people may forget, conceal or exaggerate if they committed a crime or been a victim