INTERACTIONIST PERSPECTIVE OF CRIME

Question 1

Key theorist names

Answer 1

BECKER / YOUNG / CICOUREL

Question 2

What is the interactionist approach?

Answer 2

Often named the labelling theory, this approach questions why certain acts become criminal due to society

Question 3

What is Becker’s theory

Answer 3

Labelling Theory: the act of a label can be positive or negative
-positive labels lead to ideal pupils
-negative labels lead to a SFP

Question 4

What is the process of labelling

Answer 4

1) moral entrepreneurs label behaviour/ groups as deviant
2) once the act is labelled, others see them in line with the label
3)this becomes a master status (SFP)

Question 5

CRITICISMS OF LABELLING

Answer 5

The Sufferigettes; viewed as negative but became positive

Other e.gs include Nelson Mandela

Question 6

Stan Cohen argued of Moral Panics, what is this?

Answer 6

A moral panic is when the media sensationalise a report of a crime, which creates a “folk devil” and public distress
E.G Mods and Rockers

Question 7

Lemert created Primary and Secondary Deviances which are…

Answer 7

Primary - insignificant acts that havnt been labelled e.g: speeding
Secondary - being publicly labelled as deviant e.g: pedo house markers

Question 8

Goffman argued of the mortification process, which is…

Answer 8

Deviance can be created by the society reaction to it, such as the devaluation of an individual by:
Prison ID numbers
Little freedom
Controlled timetable

Question 9

Braithwaite - shaming

Answer 9

Disintegrative - the crime and the person is labelled and excluded e.g pedos
Intergrative - the crime is labelled but not the person e.g stealing

Question 10

What did cicourel argue?

Answer 10

Typifications - Stereotyping against a certain group by the police
- typically young, black males

negotiation of justice - when people (m/c) can provide a promise and use connections to get away with a crime
E.g: cultural capital and elaborated code

Question 11

Is interactionism useful?

Answer 11

Useful:
Becker + Young - labels lead to master status which leads to SFP
Cohen - Moral Panics can create folk devils
Goffman - inmates can be institutionalised
Circourel - police use typifications

Not Useful :
- Labels don’t always have to be accepted e.g sufferigettes
- An active audience will not accept a moral panic
- Nelson Mandela served years in prison and was fine
- where do these stereotypes come from?