Interactionalism

Question 1

What is the Interactionalist perspective on crime and deviant

Answer 1

Argue that :

• An act only becomes deviant when labelled as such through societal reaction
• There is no such thing as a ‘Deviant person’ - criminal - only deviant acts.

Question 2

What does interactionalist Becker Identify in crime in deviance ?

Answer 2

‘The social construction of crime’

Question 3

What is interactionalist Becker’s Theory of ‘The social construction of crime’ ?

Answer 3

The idea that a deviant is someone who the label has been successfully applied and deviant behaviour is simply behaviour of that label

Question 4

What does interactionalist Reiner Identify in crime in deviance ?

Answer 4

‘Targeted enforcement’

Question 5

What is interactionalist Reiner Theory of ‘Targeted enforcement’ ?

Answer 5

Reiner argues that Ethnic minorities or W/C youths living in specific areas are targeted more by the police who believe in the label

Question 6

What does interactionalist Lemert Identify in crime in deviance ?

Answer 6

The two types of deviance - primary and secondary deviance

Question 7

What is interactionalist Lemert Theory of ‘Primary and secondary deviance’ ?

Answer 7

. Primary deviance - deviant acts that have not been publicly labelled as criminal

. Secondary deviance - Deviant acts and individuals that are labelled as deviance and thus may only be seen as his label - leading to deviant career through the illegitimate opportunist structure

Question 8

What does interactionalist Braithwaite Identify in crime in deviance ?

Answer 8

The types of shaming those labelled deviants face

Question 9

What is interactionalist Braithwaite Theory of ‘Deviant shaming’ ?

Answer 9

The two types of shaming those labelled as deviants face :

. ‘Disintegrative shaming’ - Punishment that isolated the individual and causes ‘secondary deviance’ - e.g. USA developing a ‘naming and shaming’ policy towards certain categories of offenders

. ‘Reintergrative shaming’ - punishment that punishes them in a way that strengthens their bonds with society - Like community service

Question 10

What does interactionalist Cicourel Identify in crime in deviance ?

Answer 10

The ‘Stereotypes of the typical criminal’

Question 11

What is interactionalist Ciourels Theory of Stereotypes of the typical criminal’ ?

Answer 11

The stereotypes of the typical criminal lead them to concentrating on types of people that are more likely to offend - e.g. by patrolling W/C areas

E.G. -Ciourels study on police and juvenile officers in California found that police were more likely to arrest / ‘stop and search’ people who fitted the picture of having :
- poor school performances
- Low income backgrounds
- Ethnic minority membership

Typically those who were ‘randomly’ stopped and searched - W/C lack the negotiating ability the M/C have.