C&D - Labelling Theories Flashcards
What factors make someone more likely to be arrested?
- Negative interactions with agencies of social control
- Appearance, background and personal biography
- Situation and circumstance of the offense
Pillavin and Briar found that…
Decisions to arrest were based on factors such as manners, class, gender, place. This disproportionately affected ethnic minorities.
Cirrouel found…
Decisions to arrest were based on stereotypes of the offender.
There is a class bias where over policing of w/c neighbourhoods leads to w/c arrests and a propagation of stereotypes.
Kansal (2005) studied
Dynamics of sentencing in the US justice sytem
Kansal (2005) found
Black-on-white crime lead to longer sentences than black-on-black or white-on-white crime.
White victims and minority perpetrators lead to more death penalty convictions.
Lemert (1951) distinguishes between…
Primary and Secondary Deviance
Primary Deviance is where
Deviant acts are not publicly labelled.
Secondary deviance is where
Public labelling of an act causes a change in master status, causing a crisis of self concept and an acceptance of the deviant label. The self-fulfilling prophecy causes further deviance.
What is a master status?
What an individual is primarily known for.
Jock Young (1971) said that…
Social meanings ascribed to a drug affect impacts on the addict. An addict labelled as a criminal is forced into crime by society which reinforces the label.
Downes and Rook (2003) critique Young because…
His perspective is deterministic. Addicts have the choice to not commit crime.
What is a Deviancy Amplification Spiral?
Media Amplifies Deviance
So, certain groups are labelled.
They then undergo a self fulfilling prophecy.
This leads to further deviance.
The cycle continues.
Who studied the Mods and Rockers moral panic?
Stanley Cohen
Braithwaite (1989) - There are two types of shaming.
Disintegrative - Ostracisation of criminals. Crime and offender seen as ‘bad’.
Reintegrative - Separating the crime and the criminal. Avoiding stigmatisation & secondary deviance.
Braithwaite argues…
Crime rates are lower in reintegrative shaming cultures
According to labelling theorists, controlling and punishing offenders has what effect?
Increases crime rates
Tripplet (2000) claims…
In the USA, there is a tendency to view young offenders as evil. Increased seriousness of e.g., truancy leads to an increase in offending
How do labelling theorists suggest crime rates can be reduced?
Reduce number of laws. Don’t ‘name and shame’ offenders.
Give two strengths of labelling theories
Demonstrates discriminatory law enforcement practises.
Shows attempts at controlling deviance may increase deviance rates
Give three criticisms of labelling theory
Any three of:
- Determinism
- Portrays criminals as victims of labelling, ignores real victims
- Doesn’t explain primary deviance
- Implies deviants are unaware of their deviance before a label
- No focus on impact of class
