Interactionism

Question 1

What is labelling theory?

Answer 1

Labelling theorists argue that no act is inherently criminal or deviant,it becomes so when labelled as such

Question 2

What is Howard Becker’s theory on deviance?

Answer 2

A deviant is someone who the label of deviance has been successfully applied to

Question 3

What are moral entrepreneurs? (Becker)

Answer 3

Individuals who lead a moral crusade to change the law

Creates a group of outsiders,expands social control agencies to enforce laws

Question 4

What are some evaluations for Becker’s theory?

Answer 4

+-recognises the role of power in creating deviance

X-fails to analyse the source of power,it’s connection to capitalism

X-too theoretical about deviance ignores the harm caused to victims

Question 5

How do power and deviance coincide?(Becker)

Answer 5

It’s not inherent harmfulness that leads to new laws but efforts of powerful people to redefine behaviour as unacceptable

Question 6

What is a Marxist critique of Becker?

Answer 6

Doesn’t explore the links between labelling and capitalism

Question 7

What’s a realist critique of interactionism

Answer 7

Sociologists should focus more on preventing crimes

Question 8

What are the factors in arrest and conviction? (Cicourel)

Answer 8

Convictions depend on interactions with social control agencies,appearance,background,and circumstance of the offence

Question 9

What were cicourel’s findings?

Answer 9

Officers decisions to arrest are influenced by their stereotypes about offenders

-leads to a class bias in law enforcement

-officers concentrate on ‘typical delinquents’ results in more arrests,confirming stereotypes

Question 10

How are bias’ reinforced? (Cicourel)

Answer 10

Agents of social control I.e probation officers,reinforce bias

-see delinquency as linked to factors e.g broken homes,poverty,and lax parenting

Question 11

Why does Cicourel believe that Justice is Negotiable?

Answer 11

-middle class youths are less likely to be charged due to background/parents ability to negotiate

Question 12

What is Cicourels view on official statistics

Answer 12

Official crime statistics don’t provide a valid picture of crime patterns
-reflect control agencies more than criminal behaviours

Question 13

How did Cicourel conduct research?

Answer 13

-Used participant and non-participant observation

-observed police patrols and court proceedings

Question 14

What are evaluations of Cicourel’s work?

Answer 14

+-explains how crime statistics are collected and it’s limits

X-May give offenders a form of victim status overlooks the real victims

Question 15

How are Ethnic Minority communities policed? (Phillips&bowling?

Answer 15

-since 1970s there’s been allegations of oppressive policing
-in minority ethnic areas
-e.g mass stop and search,surveillance,police violence

Question 16

What are the problems with stop and search? (Phillips&Bowling

Answer 16

-racial despair tied EM more likely to be stopped ‘Reasonable suspicion’

-perceived over policing

Question 17

How do stereotypes affect prosecution of EM communities? Phillips and Bowling

Answer 17

-CPS is more likely to drop cases against EMs due to weaker evidence/stereotypes

Question 18

What are the effects of pre-sentencing reports? Phillips and Bowling

Answer 18

-labelling by probation officers:Hudson and bramwell found Asian offenders labelled as less remorseful than white offenders

-context bias e.g Muslims after 9-11

Question 19

What are some evaluations for Phillip and Bowling?

Answer 19

-Evidence of institutional racism

-canteen culture of racist sexist homophobic attitudes

-Macpherson report

Question 20

What is primary deviance? Lemert

Answer 20

-deviant acts that haven’t been public ally labelled or recognised

-trivial and uncaught,individuals that engage don’t see themselves as deviant

Question 21

What is secondary deviance? Lemert?

Answer 21

-the result of societal reactions,labelling,to deviant behaviour

Question 22

What are the effects of labelling? Lemert

Answer 22

-being publicly labelled can lead to stigmatisation,shame,social exclusion

-identity crisis

Question 23

What is a self fulfilling prophecy?Lemert

Answer 23

-occurs when an individual conforms to and fulfils expectations of their label

Question 24

What is the role of deviant subcultures? Lemert

Answer 24

-response to labelling and exclusion,individuals may seek support from deviant subcultures
-May offer deviant careers,role models

Question 25

What are Lemerts key idea?

Answer 25

Not the deviant act but rather hostile societal reaction that creates serious deviance

-social control process may lead to deviance ironically

Question 26

What are some evaluations of Lemert?

Answer 26

X-too deterministic implies that once someone is labelled deviance is inevitable

+-some labelling theorists recognise not all deviance is inevitable after labelling

X-assumes people are unaware of their deviance until labelled

Question 27

What is deviance amplification? Young

Answer 27

Negative reactions and responses from others outside a labelled group lead individuals to become more deviant

Question 28

What did Jock Young study?

Answer 28

How the hippie subculture became labelled as deviant

-marijuana use,prosecution,retreating to closed groups

Question 29

What are some evaluations for young?

Answer 29

-deterministic assumes deviance is inevitable after labelling

-overlooks possibility of deviance being a choice,postmodern criticism

Question 30

How can labelling lead to a deviant career?De Haan

Answer 30

-negative labels can push offenders towards deviant careers,links to Lemert

-to reduce deviance,less rules should be created an enforced

Question 31

What is the impact of increased control and punishment? De Haan

Answer 31

Triplett-USA there’s an increasing tendency to see young offenders as evil,less tolerance

De Haan-stigma of young offenders in Holland

Question 32

What is De Haan’s solution?

Answer 32

Decriminalisation of minor offences e.g soft drugs

Individuals are able to maintain access to mainstream society reduces likelihood of criminal association

Question 33

What does De Haan mean by ‘label the act not the actor’

Answer 33

Instead of publicly calling out offenders focus on just labelling the act

-idea of reintegrative shaming allows individuals to separate their actions from identity

Question 34

What are some evaluations for De Haan?

Answer 34

+-offer practical ways to control crime

X-right realists critique soft approach claim it may normalise offending