Explaining youth deviance - Interactionalists

Question 1

What is Becker labelling theory ?

Answer 1

• claims there isn’t deviant acts
• he says acts only become deviant acts because they are labelled as criminal and wrong

Question 2

What does Jock Young say about Hippies ?

Answer 2

• the police see Hippies as dirty, lazy and drug addicts
• the hippies therefore did more drugs to rebel
• drugs are now a central aspect to the Hippies identity

Question 3

What does Cicourel say about the social organisation of juvenile justice ?

Answer 3

• he observed the criminal justice system in two US cities
• he compared the process of dealing with deviant youths and put it into 3 stages
  1. The police start interrogating if a youth is seen as deviant (makes first judgement)
  2. individual is arrested
  3. parole officer - judges the suspect
• he found the way the behaviour of the individual acted changes the way the police look at the situation
• says this is linked to social class
• concludes that delinquents are constructed by agencies of control