Interactionism

Question 1

Labelling theory

Answer 1

• No act is criminal or deviant itself.
• The police label certain groups as criminal.
• This results in differential enforcement as the law is enforced on one group more than others.
• Primary deviance: Acts that have not been publicly labelled (tram hopping) these people do not see themselves as criminals.
• Secondary deviance: Results from labelling, the individual may feel like an outcast which forces them to hang out with other outcasts (like criminals) which then leads to a self fulling prophecy.

Question 2

Deviance Amplification spiral

Answer 2

• Attempts to control deviance only increase it.
• Mods and rockers example, media exaggeration caused public concern, negative labelling: displayed as ‘folk devils” resulting in more deviance.

Question 3

Crime statistics

Answer 3

• Interactionists reject the use of official police crime statistics as they’re corrupt.
• If the police stereotype W/C males, more W/C males will be prosecuted (showing in the statistics).
• Statistics are just a social construction.