Interactionism Theory

Question 1

Interactionism theory explanations

Answer 1

• Interactionism focuses on the social construction of crime
• An act only becomes deviant when labelled as such -Through societal reaction
• However not every deviant act is criminal is labelled
• And labelling theory (Beck) is enforced against some groups)
• Some socialists believe labelling may cause an individual to be defined a master status.

Question 2

Becker:

Answer 2

• The social construction of crime- a deviant is someone who the label has been successfully applied.
• Those who are labelled are labelled based on gender, class and ethnicity.

Question 3

Cicourel:

Answer 3

• Officers’ typification’s (stereotypes) of the typical criminal lead to them to concentrate on types of people that are more likely to offend, e.g. by patrolling working class areas

Question 4

Lambert:

Answer 4

• Distinguishes between two types of deviance:
  1. Primary deviance – deviant acts that have not been publicly labled as criminal
  2. Secondary deviance – deviant acts and individuals that are labelled. Once an individual has been labelled people only see him according to his master status (criminal defined by their deviant act), which may lead to a deviant career because they struggle to find employment

Question 5

Braithwaite:

Answer 5

• Distinguishes between types of shaming:
  1. Reintegrative shaming – punishes them in a way that strengthens their bonds with society
  2. Disintegrative shaming – punishment which isolates the individual and causes secondary deviance

Question 6

Douglas:

Answer 6

• Rejects the use of official statistics when examining suicide.
• Whether a death is labelled as a suicide depends on the interactions and negotiations between social actors (doctors, coroner, family)
• Stats tell us nothing about meaning behind an individual’s decision to commit.