Interactionist Theories Flashcards
what is a criminal identity
a social category into which deviants are placed by others or themselves
what is labeling theory
The process of someone giving another person a deviant label which causes the person to commit to a deviant identity
How does labelling theory think about the cause of crime
focuses more on what are the reactions to crime and labels
Who is the key thinker that developed labelling theory
Howard Becker developed labelling theory in his novel Outsiders
What is unique about the labelling theory of crime
it explains how criminality is created and how people are defined and understood as criminals through symbolic exchanges
- explains how crime is socially constructed
- if you deviate from social norms and roles become labeled as deviant
- what makes a crime is based on how people react
How does bias present itself in labelling people as criminals or deviants
Stereotypes and biases have often unjustly associated a label of criminality to black men on a basis of race and gender than on the persons activities
What is the specific example discussed in class on bias in labelling theory
The first 155 of 250 DNA exonerations were African american men (62%) -1983
-47% of the 1,900 exonerations in the US in 2016
what is the deviant career
Stages of personal involvement in criminal activities (like stages in an occupational career)
what are the stages of the deviant career
- Primary deviation
- Societal reaction
- Secondary deviation
Define continuance commitments
The awareness of the impossibility of choosing a non-criminal identity because of the penalties in making the switch
-Penalties can be structural or personal
Define Secondary deviation
Deviance becomes a way of life, being labeled as being deviant can cause the shift from primary deviation to secondary
Define Primary deviation
early in career, commits deviant acts infrequently, does not self-identify as a deviant
Define master status
the status the person most relates to when trying to express themselves to others
define turning points
a situation that causes the criminal career to be prolonged
- example: interest in drugs, interest in delinquent activities
What is a moral entrepreneur
persons in power who campaign to have certain deviant behavior outlawed
What might be some examples of moral entrepreneurs
- mothers against drunk driving against cannabis consumption because it will be another cause similar to drinking and driving
What are some critiques of differential association theory
- Expressive reasons for committing crime are ignored
-Deviant motives and meaning are often gradually learned
What is the Marxist critique on labelling theory
labelling theory fails to examine the division between powerful and powerless in society