13: Interactionist Explanation for deviancy

Question 1

labelling theory

Answer 1

powerful groups shape societal reactions
-labelling done by these groups

Question 2

moral panic

Answer 2

public mass movement based on exaggerrated perceptions or information that exceeds actual threat

Question 3

what do interactionists see deviancy as

Answer 3

-social construct; mainstream society define deviancy eg smoking in building
-studies of policing (eg Cicourel in USA) suggests young esp black amles are negatively stereotyped
-Matza: most subscribe to deviant acts but wc youth are more blamed for it compared to middle or upper

Question 4

master status

Answer 4

once labelled society only judges them on this label
-results in being isolated from others and fail to conform to society e.g unable to find a job

Question 5

primary and secondary deviance

Answer 5

act committed but not publicly labelled;
secondary: act repeated and more visible

Question 6

moral panics (Cohen)

Answer 6

-socially constructed and killed off by media
-media stereotypes and labels powerful groups by sensationalising stories about them
-this results in demonisation (folk devils) created and pressure is put on govt to stamp out these groups

Question 7

folk devil

Answer 7

person or thing held to be a bad influence on society

Question 8

evaluate interactionist theory (3-) (2+)

Answer 8

(-) fail to explain original deviant act and why young people commit one act over the other eg arson
(-) positivists
(-) deterministic: assumes person will passively accept the label
(+) helped to further develop more explanations
(+) labelling linked to social class; marxist support eg wc youth more likely to be stopped and searched by police

Question 9

Cicourel : Juvenile Justice Study USA

Answer 9

-observed police in two cities in USA
stage 1: police stop individual if seen as sus
stage 2: police arrest based on appearance, manner
stage 3: officer has stereotype in mind and tries to fit the profile
-social class of individual was important; “justice can be negotiated”
-both cities similar in size and socio-economic background ; one city had high rates of juvenile delinquency and employed more police officers, another fluctuated in terms of deviancy spiking when media or public concern got involved
-cicourel concluded delinquents are constructed by agencies of social control and their policies

Question 10

Cicourel Study Evaluation (1+) (2-)

Answer 10

(-) OBSERVATION; OBSERVER BIAS
(-) two cities in USA not generalised
(+) interpretivist approach