Interactionalism and labelling theory Flashcards
(17 cards)
What do labelling theorists such as Becker believe about deviance?
-Deviance is a social construct
No act is inherently deviant or criminal, it only becomes that way once it has been labelled as that to create a group of ‘outsiders’
What are moral entrepreneurs (Becker)
Individuals who lead a moral campaign to change the law
-these changes in law can expand social control agencies to enforce the law and also creates a new group of outsiders
What is meant by differential reinforcement?
-Labelling theorists argue that some groups are more likely to be labelled as deviant than others
- Pillavin and Briar found police decisions to arrest youths was based on dress,class,gender,ethnicity as well as time and place
According to Cicourel, what influences officers decisions to arrest?
Typifications- their stereotypes/commonsesne theories of what a delinquent looks like
-This led to law enforcement showing class bias as w/c more likely to fit this, as well as ethnic youths
-Police then patrol these areas more>more arrests>confirm their stereotypes
-Other social control agencies such as parole officers held typifications that w/c are from broken homes, poverty and lack proper parenting and so likely to reoffend> more likely to be given custodial sentences
According to cicorel, why are the m/c less likely to be charged?
If an individual doesn’t meet the enforcers typifications e.g a m/c boy who has stolen, he is less likely to be charged
-Additionally, his parents more likley to successfully ‘negotiate justice’ on his behalf e.g using bribes or claiming he is sorry
Why does Cicourel believe crime statistics should be a topic not a resource?
They do not give us a valid picture of crime, as m/c crime more likely to be negotiated/ignored> dark figure
-We should investigate the processes that lead to the statistics and use it as a research topic to understand how social control agencies process and label certain groups
How is crime socially constructed?
At each stage of the CJS agents (police,prosecutors) attach a label to the suspect and use that to decide if they will proceed to the next stage
-This label is often based on typifications/stereotypes
How can the social contruction of crime statistics decrease validity
The statistics only show the activities of the police and prosecutors (whether they have labelled it as a crime or not) not about the actual amount of crime
What is the dark figure of crime?
The difference between the real rate of crime and official statistics
-Can use victim surveys or self report studies to get an accurate view (However pps may lie, forget, exaggerate)
What is Lemerts view of the effects of labelling
Distinguishes between two types of deviance.
Primary deviance- Deviant acts that have not been publicly labelled e.g fare dodging so often has little significance on individuals identity or self-concept
Secondary deviance-Results from a societal reaction e.g labelling as a criminal after being caught. This can lead to the development of a master status that can mean the individual is stigmatised and excluded> may then internalise the label and commit more crimes> secondary deviance
What is the possible effect of being given a master status?
-self fulfilling prophecy in which they act out their deviant label (secondary deviance), leading to a deviant career/joining a deviant subculture
-e.g previous convict may find it difficult to get employment due to master status of ‘thief’ so may join deviant subcultures that provide illegitimate opportunities> deviant identity
How does Jock Youngs study support primary and secondary deviance?
Drugs were initially peripheral to hippie lifestyle-primary deviance
-more police enforcement as well as labelling them as ‘junkies’ meant that hippies were then seen as outsiders
-hippies then internalised outsider status and started to behave deviantly by forming deviant subcultures where drugs became a central activity
-Thus control agencies produced more crime by trying to control it
What is the deviance amplification spiral?
The process in which trying to control deviance creates more e.g Cohens Moral panic with mods and rockers
-Press exaggerated and distored reports of events>moral entrepeneurs called for a crackdown>police responded with more arrests>more concern>mods and rockers were demonised and made to be folk devils> more deviance as they had been marginalised from society
How is the idea of a deviance amplification spiral and Lemerts idea similar?
Both argue that social control leads to deviance Not the other way around
What is Braithwaite differ from other labelling theorists?
He believes that labelling can have positive effects through reintegrative and disintegrative shaming
-disintegrative shaming- the crime and the criminal is labelled as bad> offender is excluded
-Reintegrative shaming- The act is labelled as bad but not the actor
-These policies can be useful
How can the use or reintegrative shaming be positive
-Avoids stigmatising the offender but makes them aware of negative effect of their actions
-More likely to be able to integrate back into mainstream society so less likely to form a deviant career due to blocked opportunities
-Countries that have these policies have lower crime rates
