Interactionist Explanations For Youth Deviancy

Question 1

What does the interactionist/ labelling theory state?

Answer 1

• labelling theory argues that power groups in society (e.g. police, media) label, stereotype and shape deviance. Cicourel argues that black males are especially negatively labelled, Matza argues working class youth are more likely to be labelled as deviant
• Interactionists see deviance as a social construct whereby mainstream society define deviant behaviours

Question 2

What is master status and self fulfilling deviance?

Answer 2

• once someone is labelled the deviant status becomes a master status which may have negative consequences in terms of prejudice, discrimination and self fulfilling prophecies (the deviant lives up to their label)

Question 3

Who are moral panics?

Answer 3

The media label and exaggerate stories of subcultures creating moral panics, people who feel threatened by something that may affect social order

This results in folk devils (a person represented by the media as deviant)

Question 4

Evaluation of the Interactionist theory

Answer 4

• Interactionists dont consider why the deviancy act was done in the first place (-)
• its been criticised for being deterministic and does not consider youth who work to remove their label and reform (-)
• Marxists agree with the labelling theory and the idea of stereotyping people accordance with class and are therefore more likely to be stopped and searched (+)