interactionism and labelling theory Flashcards
what did Becker say about the social construction of crime?
individuals are labelled as deviant if their behaviour goes against the social norms of society; breaking the rules constitutes as deviance
what did Becker say about moral entrepreneurs?
people who lead a moral campaign to change the law - however, this has two effects; the creation of a new group of outsiders (deviants who have broken the law) and the creation/expansion of social control agencies to enforce the law and impose labels on offenders
what did Platt say about juvenile delinquency?
originally created as a result of a campaign led by upper class Victorian moral entrepreneurs, aimed at protecting young people who were at risk - this established juveniles as a separate category of offender which enabled the state to extend its powers beyond criminal offences involving the young into status offences (behaviour is only an offence because of their age status) e.g. truancy and sexual activity
what did Cicourel say about the negotiation of justice?
the police decision to arrest individuals is based on stereotypes about offenders
therefore justice is not fixed and can be negotiated - and those who fit within the criminal stereotype are more likely to be convicted of a crime
what did Cicourel say about police officer typifications?
stereotypes of the typical delinquents led to law enforcement showing a class bias; for example, working class areas are more likely to be closely monitored
agents of social control within the criminal justice system reinforced this bias; for example, probation officers are less likely to support non custodial sentences if the individual comes from a difficult background (poverty, broken home)
what are the social construction of crime statistics?
accounts of decisions made by the police force and law enforcement
- the dark figure of crime; crime that goes undetected and unreported
- victim surveys/self report studies; individuals may conceal or exaggerate when asked if they have committed or been a victim of crime
what are the effects of labelling?
by labelling individuals as deviant, this only encourages deviant behaviour in order to fit in with their label
what did Lemert and Young say about primary and secondary deviance?
- primary deviance refers to crime that goes uncaught
- secondary deviance refers to further deviance acted out by the individual once labelled - their deviant label becomes their master status, may lead to a self fulfilling prophecy (self concept crisis)
what is deviance amplification?
more control leads to a higher rate of deviance (young - hippy culture)
what did Cohen say about folk devils and moral panics?
a study of the societal reaction to ‘mods and rockers’ disturbances involving groups of youths at English seaside resorts
press exaggeration and distorted reporting of the events led to police arresting more youths and courts enforcing harsher penalties for deviant behaviour
this reinforced what the media put across and by further marginalising the mods and rockers resulted in more deviant behaviour (considered an outsider)
what is labelling and criminal justice policy (triplett)?
similar to secondary deviance; Triplett notes that in the USA the increased tendency to label young offenders as evil and be less tolerant of minor offences results in a higher rate of deviance
what is reintegrative shaming?
labels the act of deviance instead of the offender itself - the purpose of this is to avoid labelling the offender but also make them aware of their wrong doing (likely to avoid secondary deviance)
- disintegrative shaming; labels the act of deviance but also the offender (outcasted)
