Interactionism Flashcards
What is another name for Action Theory?
Also known as an ‘Action Theory’, it can be used as an evaluation to structural theories (feminism, functionalism, and Marxism).
What are the two theories related to the cause of crime?
Labelling theory and subcultural theory.
What does Labelling theory explore?
It explores the impact that labelling and criminalising individuals has on future crime rates.
What do labelling theorists focus on?
They are interested in how a person’s social status may influence the likelihood of being labelled a criminal or deviant.
What is the Power of Negotiation according to Cicourel?
It refers to an individual’s ability to negotiate themselves out of trouble with agents of formal control after being stopped or arrested for a crime they may or may not have committed.
What advantages do individuals with cultural and social capital have?
They have the ability to negotiate with agents of force due to higher IQ and access to an elaborate speech code.
How does social class affect perceptions of individuals by the police?
Individuals of a higher class are often valued in society, which provides a smokescreen that helps them negotiate out of trouble.
What challenges do individuals without cultural or social capital face?
They typically struggle to negotiate with the police and are often stereotyped, especially if they belong to the working class or an ethnic minority.
Why do working-class individuals face profiling by the police?
They often lack the knowledge on what to say and how to say it due to their restricted speech code, leading to profiling based on class and ethnic status.
Who is Mohamed Al Fayed?
Mohamed Al Fayed was an extremely wealthy businessman and the owner of Harrod’s stores, aimed at the elite upper class society.
What happened a year after Mohamed Al Fayed’s death?
Many women who were victims of sexual abuse committed by him came out for justice.
What does the case of Mohamed Al Fayed highlight?
It highlights how those with status and power can negotiate their way out of crime due to their wealth.
How would a working-class male be treated compared to Mohamed Al Fayed?
A working-class male would likely not be able to negotiate his way out of trouble and would be prosecuted for his actions.
What theory does Mohamed Al Fayed’s case support?
It evidences Cicourel’s theory of the power of negotiation.
What is a criticism of Cicourel’s theory?
Cicourel’s theory is criticized for being ignorant of the greater accountability that high-status individuals must take for their crimes.
Who is an example of a high-status individual facing consequences for their actions?
Justin Timberlake faced a driving ban and a hefty fine after being caught drink driving.
What role do advocates play during the custody process?
Advocates help those with restricted speech, aiding individuals with lower IQs to understand the questioning process.
What rights does every individual have in the legal system?
Every individual is entitled to a fair trial and to a lawyer.
What implication does the right to a fair trial have on negotiation?
It implies that everyone has the ability to negotiate reduced sentences or the removal of the criminal label, regardless of socioeconomic or ethnic status.
What effect does labelling convicted perpetrators have?
Labelling convicted perpetrators of crime leads to an increased risk of reoffending.
What is the reoffending rate for adults with a sentence of less than 12 months?
Adults with a sentence of less than 12 months have a reoffending rate of 57%.
What percentage of young offenders are likely to reoffend?
32% of young offenders are likely to reoffend.
What were the overall reoffending rates in 2022?
Overall reoffending rates in 2022 were 25.5% from January to March, increasing to 26.5% from July to September.
What concept did Braithwaite explain regarding reoffending?
Braithwaite explained reoffending occurring due to disintegrative shaming, which is the effect of labelling a person with a criminal label.
What are the consequences of being labelled as a sex offender?
Being labelled as a sex offender creates an inability to integrate within society, making it hard to find employment and build relationships.
What are Hirschi’s four elements that dictate criminal behavior?
Hirschi believed that attachment, commitment, involvement, and common values dictate if a person is likely to commit a criminal act.
How does deprivation of social approval affect offenders?
Deprivation of social approval and relationships may push the offender to reoffend due to finding more common values within the prison setting.
What is reintegrative shaming according to Braithwaite?
Reintegrative shaming is the process where perpetrators are given the opportunity to be remorseful and give back to the community.
How can reoffending be reduced?
Reoffending can be reduced through community service and restorative justice, allowing offenders to build bonds of attachment.
What is Braithwaite’s disintegrative shaming ignorant of?
It is ignorant to reformation processes such as restorative justice, which enables the perpetrator to shift their label and overcome disintegrative shaming.
How does restorative justice benefit offenders?
It allows them to form bonds of attachments and move forward to live a successful life, suggesting that not every convict will reoffend due to their initial label.
What happens to the identity of very young offenders?
Their identity is sometimes kept hidden or they are released with a new identity, preventing the creation of a label and thus the effects of disintegrative shaming.
What does reintegrative shaming suggest about reoffending?
Despite reintegrative shaming, reoffending continues, suggesting that community service and restorative justice may be ineffective.
What does Cohen’s Deviancy Amplification Cycle explore?
It explores the effect of labelling a person as deviant.
How does the media affect subcultures according to the text?
The media exaggerates the actions of subcultures, generating moral panic and leading to their marginalisation and isolation from mainstream society.
What is the consequence of media exaggeration on subcultures?
It causes issues to worsen, leading these groups to self-fulfill the criminal label suggested by the media.
What did M. Fuller find regarding labelling theory?
She found that labelling theory is too deterministic and observed negative teacher labelling among year 11 black girls.
What was the outcome of Fuller’s study on ‘non-conformist’ girls?
These girls rejected the labelling and used it as a motivator to achieve educational success, questioning the validity of subcultural ideas.
What critique is made about the deviancy amplification cycle?
It is too deterministic as it does not recognize that people do not always conform to their labels and can act as a catalyst for greater good.
What is the concept of Master Status in relation to crime?
Master Status refers to the criminal label that individuals are known for, often broadcasted by media through ‘naming and shaming’.
How does the criminal label affect individuals?
The criminal label becomes difficult to shift, leading individuals to succumb to it and self-fulfill the prophecy.
Which groups are particularly vulnerable to criminal labeling?
Black Afro-Caribbean/ethnic minorities and youth groups are particularly vulnerable to criminal labeling.
What percentage of working-class students display anti-social behaviors?
79% of working-class (mainstream school) students display anti-social behaviors.
When does criminal offending typically peak?
Criminal offending increases in adolescence and peaks in the late teens or early 20s.
What is a consequence of labeling on young adults?
Most young adults develop a self-fulfilling prophecy that contributes to crime rates.
What is a criticism of viewing offenders as passive victims of labeling?
It ignores that individuals may actively choose deviance due to contextual and environmental factors.
What does the theory recognize about power and deviance?
It recognizes the role of power in creating deviance but fails to analyze the source of this power.
Who does the theory focus on in terms of labeling?
It focuses on ‘middle range officials’ like policemen who apply the labels, rather than the capitalist class who create the rules.
What does the theory fail to explain regarding labels?
It fails to explain the origin of the labels or why they are applied to certain groups, such as the working class.
