interactionism and labelling theory Flashcards
What do labelling theorists argue about what defines a crime
It’s not the nature of the act that makes it a crime, it’s society’s reaction to the crime
*Crime is a social construct
What did labelling theorists Cicourel find?
Officers decisions to arrest are influenced by their stereotypes
He found that officers’s typifications (stereotypes)>concentrating on certain types>law enforcement class bias (they typically fit typifications)
According to Cicourel, Justice is not fixed, instead it’s..?
Explain
Negotiable
E.g. when MC male is arrested=less likely to be charged because his background did not fit the idea of polices ‘typical delinquent’ , and parents can negotiate successfully for him
How do interactionists view official crime statistics?
Socially constructed
In the Justice system, agents of control (police, prosecutors) make decisions on whether to proceed or not, outcome depends on the label they give based on interactions (typifications)
Statistics only tell us about interaction between them, not the amount of crime
According to interactionists, what is the:
Dark figure of crime
Alternative to statistics
Difference between official statistics and the actual rate of crime, we don’t know the certain amount of how much crime goes unreported
Victim surveys and self report studies, these are more personal but do have limitations
What are the effects of labelling?
Primary and secondary deviance
What is primary deviance?
What is secondary deviance?
Deviant acts that have not been public ally labelled as criminal: widespread, common, not the individuals idenitiy e.g. underage drinking
Secondary=^ opposite e.g. sex offender
Once labelled>deviant is only seen as their ‘master status’>struggle to find employment>deviant career
Studies have shown how increases in the attempt to control and punish young offenders can have what effect?
Example?
The opposite affect
Study in the USA notes an increasing tendency to see young offenders as evil and less tolerant to minor deviance
Justice system has re-labelled status offences e.g. truancy, as more serious>harsher sentences>increase in offending, not decreasing (secondary deviance)
Labelling theory adds weight to the argument that negative labelling>deviant offending
To reduce deviance, what should we do?
Example
Make and enforce fewer rules for people to break
E.g. decriminalizing soft drugs>reduce the number of people with criminal convictions+
What are 3 criticism of labelling theory?
Deterministic- implies once something is labelled>deviant career is inevitable
Focuses too much on non-utilitarian crimes e.g. drug taking
Ignores the fact that individuals may actively choose deviance, assumes that offenders are passive victims of labelling
