Interactionism and Labelling Key terms Flashcards
Define moral entrepreneurs
Powerful people of status who lead a moral “crusade” to change the law
Define status offences
Criminal offences often involving the young who are criminalised because of their age
Define Cicourel’s typifications theory
Police officers’ common sense theories or stereotypes about what a typical delinquent is like
Define the negotiation of justice
Cicourel- justice is not fixed but negotiable e.g. white mc youth is less likely to be charged- parents are more likely to negotiate on their behalf
What is the social construction of crime
statistics produced by the criminal justice system only tell us about the activities of police and prosecutors- they are who decides who is criminalised and often this is determined by labelling
What is the dark figure of crime?
The difference between the official statistics and the “real” rate of crime- we do not know how much crime goes undetected/unreported
Define alternative statistics
Some sociologists use victim surverys or self report studies to gain a more accurate way of the amount of crime- however people might forget/exaggerate what happened
Define primary deviance
Deviant acts that have not been publicly labelled, widespread crime that goes uncaught
Define secondary deviance
Secondary deviance is the result of societal reaction (labelling)-> person is only seen as this master status and becomes an outsider
Define master status
once a deviant is labelled others may see them as only this label-> become outsider= master status
Define the self fulfilling prophecy
an individual acts out or lives up to their deviant label as they feel they have no choice-> become what their label says they are (SFP)
Define what a deviant career is
a deviant career may involve joining a deviant subculture that offers deviant career opportunities where you are rewarded for behaviour, confirming identity further
What is the deviant amplification spiral?
The attempts to control deviance leads to an increase in the levels of deviance e.g. more media press on a deviant group leads to their further marginalisation and thus more deviant behaviour
Define reintegrative shaming
the act is labelled as bad but not the actor-> “he has done a bad thing not he is a bad person”
Define disintegrative shaming
not only the crime but the criminal is labelled as deviant and the offender is excluded from society
