Labelling theory Flashcards
(16 cards)
what is the labelling theory
an interactionist or social action theory that take a bottom up approach when studying society. they look at how individuals shape society through their own actions. tit argues that individuals define and interpret the world through the meanings or labels they attach to actions of individuals
what does it focus on
they focus on how people react and define actions as criminal or deviant
what does Becker believe about deviance
an act only becomes deviant when others see it and define it as deviant. a deviant label is applied depending on societal reactions
what is moral entrepreneurship
people who have power to attach deviant labels and make them ‘stick’ refering to groups such as the media and the police who have the power to create or enforce rules and impose their definitions of deviance
what is a folk devil
a threat to society
what is an example of moral entrepreneurship
drill music is a legal but performing a song was turned into a illegal act - drill artists broke a criminal behaviour in 2019. this shows how the actions of moral entrepreneurs can criminalise a non-criminal act such as performing music
what does Cicourel believe?
argues that social context - someone who is performing the act - influences the application of the label and how the criminal justice system might respond to it. argues that police have stereotype of the typical delinquent - working class with a deprived background. they often assume that young criminals are from broken homes with poor parenting and poverty
why does Cicourel suggest a negotiation of justice
police are influenced by their stereotypes of the typical delinquent meaning they are less likely to arrest a middle class individual - as they come from good backgrounds and hold the opposite view of working class which creates a class bias
how does class bias affect society?
youths are subjected to injustice by the police or government, creating a poor relationship with authoritarian figures within their lives. they feel undervalued or ignored which may push the youth into crime and make them more likely to rebel. puts more stress on the services as they have to deal with this rise whilst coping with everyday disturbance - also be a increase in rioting to prove points and opinions
what does Lemert believe
he distinguishes between primary and secondary deviance
what is primary deviance
deviance that has not been labelled as deviant (breaking traffic laws, using illegal drugs)
what is secondary deviance
deviance that may occur once a person has been discovered and publicly labelled as deviant (stigma attached to people caught downloading child pornography)
what are the 3 effects of labelling
moral panic and deviancy amplification, master status, deviant career and self-fulfilling prophecy
what is moral panic
an exagerated outburst of public concern over the morality or behaviour of a group in society
what is master status
a person labelled as deviant who is only seen in relation to the label (woman goes to prison for robbing - labelled as a prisoner - any other identity such as mother replaced by the label - secondary deviance)
what is deviant career and self-fulfilling prophecy
when people are labelled, their opportunities are blocked and consequently may develop a deviant career. at the same time a self fulfilling prophecy is likely to develop - the person acts accordingly to the label which can cause more deviant and criminal behaviour
