Interactionism and labelling Flashcards
What does Becker say about crime?
Social constructions, only deemed as deviant once labelled
What did Malinowski find in his study on Trobriand islanders?
Only deviant when it became too public
- accepted if discreet
- abuse and culprit ostracised
Significance in the reaction of others
Lemert- Inuit of America
People with a stutter were shamed and ridiculed
- by creating a negative reaction became extremely nervous, consequently worsening the situation
Primary and Secondary deviance
What is primary deviance?
Petty acts, minor deviance, no punishment
- the act before labelling
What is secondary deviance?
The cat after labelling, usually worsening the deviance due to the negative social reaction
What are the 4 aspects of Becker’s process of deviance creation?
1- Variability
2- Negotiability
3- Master status
4- Deviant career
Becker’s process of deviance creation
1- Variability
Process of labelling not straightforward, varies on age, gender etc
- depends on who has committed it, when and where etc
Becker’s process of deviance creation
2- Negotiability
Power to reject negative label
- others don’t have enough resources, must accept it
- those who have to accept label usually have certain traits in common resulting in typification
How do Cicourel’s study show evidence of typification?
Police officers typification affect who they were more likely to arrest
- intensively monitor/police WC areas
- arrest more, confirm and reinforce stereotype
- MC youth talk their way out of it
- more likely to be warned/monitored rather than prosecuted because they don’t fit the ‘typical deviant type’
Becker’s process of deviance creation
3- Master status
Created when label is successfully applied
- most important in determining your identity
- all other statuses you have are insignificant compared to this
- rapist, drug addict
Becker’s process of deviance creation
4- Deviant career
Takes on the self image of a deviant
- fully accept their master status
- amplified and lead to more or greater deviance (self-fulfilling prophecy)
How does Fuller criticise Becker’s process of deviance creation?
Rejection of labels
Goffman- treatment institutions
Studied the treatment of mental patients in institutions
- how labelling may have worsened their condition
- master status and deviant career
What 4 key processes worsened condition due to the labels they received?
1- Mortification process
2- Institutionalisation
3- Master status
4- Deviant career
Mortification process
Strips inmates of their identity and removes their individuality
- death of the self
Institutionalised
Believe they are unable to function in the outside world and go to great lengths to remain inside
re-learn things to function properly
Master status
Labelled as ‘ex-convicts’ or ‘ex-mental patients’ which makes it harder to re-enter society and reject this label
Deviant career
Some couldn’t fight against the label and had to accept it
How does Rosenhan’s case study support Goffman?
Staff couldn’t spot the fake SZs
- people cannot leave or recover as staff label their normal actions as being a symptom of SZ
Young- marijuana users/hippies
Police officers reaction to this group worsened the situation
- hippies excluded people from conventional society and perpetuated the label they were given
What does Braithwaite focus on?
The positive labelling of crime
Braithwaite- 2 different types of labelling criminals?
Disintegrative shaming
Reintegrative shaming
What is disintegrative shaming?
Where both the act and the individual are labelled negatively
‘they are a bad person’
What is reintegrative ashaming?
Where only the act is labelled negatively
‘they have done a bad thing’
Criticisms of the labelling and interactionist thoery
X too deterministic, choose deviance or reject label
X moves blame away from deviant
X does not explain why some groups are labelled rather than others
X assumes and act is not deviant until labelled as such
What are some strengths of the labelling and interactionist theory?
- shows importance of the reactions of others in defining and creating deviance
- importance of those in power defining acts as deviant as well as the way official crime statistics are a product of bias in law enforcement
- provides insight into the nature of deviance not provided by structural theories
- shows how groups are labelled and identified accordingly
- shows how labelling can be positive- reintegrative
Who labels?
Moral entrepreneurs seek to outlaw certain behaviours through moral crusade
- this results in the creation of moral panic
What is a moral entrepeneur?
Decides what we should be concerned about
What is a moral crusade?
Media- advertise reaction, other stories
Chain events together for effect
What is a moral panic?
People become fearful
Cohen Mods and Rockers
Folk devils- major threats to public order
- media exaggerated violence predict
- further conflict, society demands clamp down
- deviance amplification spiral
- more youths joined and acted out roles
Hall New criminology and labelling
Role of moral panics in the context of capitalism
- distracts from crisis of capitalism
- divide the WC
- muggers etc, folk devils, numerous
