Interactionist explanations of crime and deviance

Question 1

What did Becker say about crime and deviance?

Answer 1

• Deviance is socially contructed, as people as labelled as deviant
• Label creates a master status, causing the individual to internalise the label, affecting their self-control
• ## Deviant career- individual joins deviant subcultures, which rationalise, justify and support deviant identities/activities

Question 2

What did Plummer say about crime and deviance?

Answer 2

• Deviant career in relation to homosexuality (homosexual career)
• Label a homosexal, creating a master status, label is internalised and a homosexual career is pursued

Question 3

What did Becker/Malinowski say about crime and deviance?

Answer 3

• Describes incident of incest between cousins- publically accused
• Only when a public accusation has been made, does the behaviour become a serious issue

Question 4

What did Lemert say about crime and deviance?

Answer 4

• Societal reactions to behaviour are more significant than the behaviour itself
• Primary deviance= deviant acts not publically labelled
• Secondary deviance= repetitive, highly visible deviance, attracting a severe societal reaction

Question 5

What did Matza say about crime and deviance?

Answer 5

• Many youths drift in and out of deviance
• Moral obligation to obey law, but pressure to pursue ‘subterranean values’

Techniques of neutralisation (excuses)-
1) Denial of responsibility
2) Denial of injury
3) Denial of victim
4) Condemnation of the condemners
5) Appeal to high loyalties

Question 6

What did Young say about crime and deviance?

Answer 6

• Studied societal reactions to drug taking amongst alienated youths facing anomie
• Deviance amplification= result of increased isolation and is rebellion-induced
• Imbalance of power, leading to the deviant group internalising the label, creating a self fulfilling prophecy

Question 7

What did Cicourel say about crime and deviance?

Answer 7

• Study of juevenille justice- recorded crime stats are the result of serious interactions and negotitations between youths and the criminal justice system
• Judgements based on pre-conceptions based on appearance, manner, replies