Labelling theories

Question 1

What are Lemert’s labelling theories?

Answer 1

1. Primary deviance is a deviant behaviour that has not been labelled as such (e.g illegal drugs that people are unaware of.)
2. Secondary deviance is deviance that follows once a person has been publicly labelled as deviant.

Question 2

What is Cicourel’s labelling theory?

Answer 2

Cicourel believes that police stereotypes will determine labels of criminal deviant, which are more likely to be applied to working class offenders, rather than middle class offenders.

Question 3

What is Becker’s theory?

Answer 3

The relativity of Crime and Deviance (varies per culture and time.)

Question 4

What is Becker’s theory around the relativity of Crime and Deviance?

Answer 4

1. Interactions between deviants and those who define them as deviants.
2. Cicourel - selective enforcement as upper class and white crime is usually ignored.
3. The consequences of a deviant label.
4. Who has the power to attach labels.

Question 5

What are Moral entrepreneurs?

Answer 5

Moral entrepreneurs are those who label the deviant, including anti-tobacco lobbies, LGBT social movements, and religious leaders.

Question 6

What are Agencies of Social control?

Answer 6

Agents of social control punish those who commit deviant acts.

Formal examples are Police, and the CJS.

Informal examples are family and peers.

Question 7

What are the three consequences of labelling?

Answer 7

1. Self-fulfilling prophecy.
2. Deviance amplification.
3. Master status.

Question 8

How does self-fulfilling prophecy work?

Answer 8

Self fulfilling prophecy - an individual accepts the deviant label as a part of their identity, so whether it was true or not, it eventually becomes true and therefore commit more crime.

Question 9

How does deviance amplification work?

Answer 9

Deviance amplification - the societal reaction to a deviant act can lead to deviance amplification, increasing the amount of crime taking place in society.

Question 10

How does master status work?

Answer 10

Master status - the deviant label can possibly become a person’s master status, overriding every other feature of their social standing and therefore judged entirely in this label.

Question 11

What are the positive criticisms of the labelling theory?

Answer 11

1. Emphasises the social construction of Crime and Deviance.
2. Shows how deviant careers can be established.

Question 12

What are the negative criticisms of the labelling theory?

Answer 12

1. Over deterministic - assumes everyone given a negative label becomes criminals.
2. Doesn’t explain where stereotypes originate.