Deviance theory (week 4)

Question 1

information about deviance theories

Answer 1

• deviance theories became popular in the 1960s-1980s, especially in America
• they focus on the social construction of crime
• deviance is a social construction that involves an action, social reaction, subjective reaction
• definitions of deviance were seen as occurring within specific cultural and historical contexts, what is considered deviant behaviour at one point in time will change over generations/contexts

Question 2

Labelling theory

primary and secondary deviance

Policy implications

Answer 2

Labelling theory:

• posits that by labelling someone as deviant they may come to identify with the label which therefore may lead to more deviant behaviour, which makes it more difficult for the person to reintegrate to society

Primary and secondary deviance:

• Primary deviance consists of deviant acts that do not result in labelling, whereas secondary deviance occurs when the deviant act is identified and the person is labelled as consequently labelled as deviant

Policy implications:

• Policy implications include keeping children out of ‘formal’ systems of juvenile justice and divert youth to strategies such as youth conferencing as well as giving warnings at police discretion