Interactionists on Crime and Deviance Flashcards
Why did Becker say crime is socially constructed?
There are no behaviours that are naturally deviant
How are certain behaviours defined as deviant?
By being present in a society at a particular period of time
What does it mean if deviant behaviour and crimes are culturally specific?
Deviance and crime is classified differently for different societies
What is a crime in Britain that is not a crime in Saudi Arabia?
Polygamy
What label is given to people who commit crimes?
Outsiders
What does it mean if a crime is historically specific?
It used to be a crime but no longer is
Name 3 context factors which classify if an act is deviant
Who is doing it, When they did it, Where they did it
Name a historically specific crime
Divorce
What do Postmodernists say needs to happen with the definition of crime?
It needs to be redefined
Drinking alcohol would be considered deviant if…
It was done in a Park in the morning by someone underage
Which Postmodernists said crime needed to be redefined?
Henry and Milovanovic
Why do Postmodernists argue crime needs to be redefined?
To better reflect social changes that have happened
How do Henry and Milovanovic suggest crime should be defined as?
A suppression of someone’s potential through the use of power
Why would Henry and Milovanovic say poverty is a crime in terms of potential?
It is suppressing people from their potential
What would Henry and Milovanovic argue about poverty?
It is a crime
What does Becker say happens to a person if they are labelled negatively by a powerful figure?
It becomes their master status
What will happen with the master status over time?
The person with it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy
What is a master status?
A label that overrides all other characteristics of a person
What is a self-fulfilling prophecy?
When someone becomes like the master status label they were given
Name 2 institutions in society with of power
Law system, government
What will it mean if an institution with a lot of power labels someone as an outsider?
They are more likely to fully become an outsider
What does it mean if someone is an outsider?
They are not part of mainstream society
What is secondary deviance?
The deviant acts committed by people after being negatively labelled
What is primary deviance?
The initial deviant act
What happens in terms of labelling if the primary deviance is not discovered?
The person will not be negatively labelled
What 2 concepts did Lemert clarify?
Primary Deviance and Secondary Deviance
What would Feminists say Interactionists ignore?
They ignore how the patriarchy impacts how crime and deviance is treated in society
Which gender do Feminists argue are treated worse in the Criminal Justice System?
Women
Which theory did Heidensohn create?
Double deviance theory
What does the double deviance theory say?
Women are punished twice in the criminal justice system
What is the second way women are punished for committing a crime?
For going against their gender role
What is the first way women are punished for committing a crime?
For doing it in a masculine way
What will it mean in terms of punishments in relation to the double deviance theory?
Women are punished more harshly
Who did Chambliss study?
The Saints and the Roughnecks
What did the Saints and Roughnecks both do?
Engage in deviant behaviour
Name 2 deviant behaviours of the Roughnecks
Vandalism, Fighting
Name 2 deviant behaviours of the Saints
Truanting, Removing barriers around unrepaired holes
What was the social class of the Saints?
Upper middle class
What was the social class of the Roughnecks?
Working class
Which group were labelled as deviant?
The Roughnecks
Why were the Saints not seen as deviant in their home town?
Because they committed deviant acts outside of town
Name 2 groups of people that had power to label the Saints and the Roughnecks
The public, Teachers
Why were the Saints not seen as deviant in terms of educational attainment?
They did very well in school
Why were the Roughnecks seen as deviant in their home town?
Because they committed deviant acts in their town
Why were the Roughnecks seen as deviant in terms of educational attainment?
They did not do well in school
What did Becker say about treatment of middle class boys in the Criminal Justice System?
They are treated more leniently
What was the social class of Michaela Booth?
Working class
What did Michaela Booth do?
She kicked someone with studded boots in a drunk fight
How long was Michaela Booth’s prison sentence?
4 years
What was the social class of Lavinia Woodward?
Upper middle class
Which university was Woodward at?
Oxford University
What did Lavinia Woodward do?
Stabbed her boyfriend
Which sociological theory would agree the working class are treated more harshly by the CJS?
Marxists
What do Marxists argue Interactionists ignore?
How middle class people are less likely to be caught for crimes
What did Croall come up with?
3 reasons why middle class people do not get caught committing certain crimes
What two types of crime are the middle class able to commit?
White Collar Crimes, Corporate Crimes
What is the first reason they wont be caught in terms of responsibility for the crime
Responsibility for the crime will be diffused among multiple people
What is the third reason why they wont be caught in terms of victims and offenders meeting?
Victims and offenders rarely come face to face
Name the CAGE characteristics and where they live for the ‘typical delinquent’
Working class young male from an ethnic minority living in an inner city area
What does it mean if someone meets the police view of a typical delinquent?
They are more likely to be stopped and searched
What did Cicourel find with police officers?
They had a stereotypical view of a ‘typical delinquent’
What is the second reason why they wont be caught in terms of victims’ knowledge of the crime?
The crime may be too technical for victims to know that they have been victims of a crime
What are typical delinquents more likely to be labelled as?
Deviant
What is the negotiation of justice?
The interaction between parents of offenders and police officers
What do Official Crime Statistics show about ethnic minority conviction rate?
It is higher than those not in an ethnic minority
Which social class and ethnicity of parents are able to convince officers not to charge their child?
Middle class white parents
What is often the impact of the negotiation of justice for middle class parents?
Their child is let off
Who created the negotiation of justice concept?
Cicourel
How many times more likely were black people to be stopped and searched according to 2020 Home Office Data?
9 times more likely
According to 2020 Ministry of Justice Data, what percentage are black people overrepresented in prisons by?
Overrepresented by 10%
What do Interactionists argue about negative labelling?
The impacts of it can be reduced
Which 2 concepts did Braithwaite create?
Disintegrative Shaming,, Reintegrative Shaming
How do Interactionists argue negative labelling impacts can be reduced?
By doing reintegrative shaming
What is disintegrative shaming?
When someone is labelled as a bad person
What happens if an authority figure does disintegrative shaming on someone?
They are more likely to accept the label and become a self-fulfilling prophecy
What will a judge be more likely to do if they use disintegrative shaming on someone?
Send them to prison
What is reintegrative shaming?
When someone’s behaviour is labelled as bad
What would Right Realists say Interactionists ignore with victims?
The impact of crimes on victims
What will a judge be more likely to do if they use reintegrative shaming on a person?
Look for ways to stop the individual committing future crimes
What form of policing approach do Right Realists want for society?
Zero-tolerance policing approach
Why do Right Realists want a zero-tolerance policing approach?
In order to reduce crime
What is zero-tolerance policing?
Where the police charge everyone for committing any form of crime
Who created Rational Choice Theory?
Clarke
What does Rational Choice Theory say about why people who commit crimes act rationally?
The rewards outweigh the costs
How does rational choice theory apply to the need for zero-tolerance policing?
In order to increase the cost of committing crimes
What does it mean if costs of committing a crime are low?
People are less likely to be prosecuted for a crime
Who were the folk devils in Cohens study?
Mods and Rockers
Who did Cohen study?
Mods and Rockers
What were the initial deviant acts of the mods and rockers?
Fighting on the beach
What is a moral panic?
When the media report on a deviant act making the public wary of it
How did the media amplify the deviance of the mods and rockers?
They sensationalised their fighting which made more young people want to join in
Why did lots of young people want to join in with the mods and rockers fights?
To appear in the news
How did the older public respond to the mods and rockers?
They demonised mods and rockers
Who did Hall study?
Black muggers
How did the police respond to the mods and rockers fights?
They acted more violently towards offenders because of the deviancy amplification
How would Neo-Marxists criticise the Interactionist analysis of moral panics?
Interactionists ignore how moral panics link to capitalism
What was the economic situation of Britain when the black muggers appeared?
It was poor
What divisions were created in the working class community due to the black muggers moral panic?
Divisions between black working class and white working class people
When did black muggers appear?
1970s
Why did some black people mug people?
To survive
Was it a majority or minority of black people mugging individuals?
Minority
How can it be seen that capitalism was failing?
The economy was not doing well
What did Hall argue about why the black mugger moral panic was made?
To distract society from the failure of capitalism
What does Becker say Moral Crusaders are?
People who try to make a campaign against folk devils using media platforms
What might moral crusaders create with issues in society over deviant behaviour?
A moral panic
What is sometimes the impact of moral crusaders making a moral panic?
The government start to punish specific offenders related to the moral panic more harshly
What is it called when the government respond to the moral crusader’s demands?
Moral clampdown
What can happen with the law as a result of moral crusaders?
It can change
What does Becker observe with moral crusades with ordinary people?
They can also be successful
Who does Becker say are most likely to be moral crusaders
Upper class individuals
What event caused the Sarahs Law moral crusade?
The murder of a child
Name a successful moral crusade by a group of ordinary individuals
Sarahs Law
What was the name of the child?
Sarah
What would Functionalists agree with over Moral Crusaders?
That their actions in the media can create positive change for society
What was the law like in the USA?
It was successful
Who was the moral crusader?
Sarah’s Mother
What would the law she was campaigning for do?
Allow parents to look up information on sex offenders living near them
What happened with the moral crusade for Sarah’s law?
It was successful in getting passed
What did Clinard say about if there is too much crime?
It is a threat to social order
What did Clinard say if there is crime in a specific section of society?
It shows there is something wrong in society
If there were lots of people truanting in schools, what would it show?
The government needed to act on it
How does the Sarahs Law campaign show moral crusader action is beneficial for society?
It meant many parents were able to look up info on sex offenders living near them
