Labelling Flashcards
Labelling theories of crime and deviance and the effects of labelling
Becker: Deviance exists in the ‘Eye Of The Beholder’
- An act only becomes deviant when others see and define it as deviant
- The application of a deviant label depends on societal reaction (how others respond to the act)
- See a student steal from the library but think it is funny so it’s not reported and the student gets away with it - no deviant label is applied
- Student seen by a different student who reports it to a teacher because they know it is wrong - deviant label is applied
- Deviance is a social construction as a behaviour has to be labelled or defined as deviant by society (determined by norms and values, society’s perception and definition of an act, deviant or not deviant)
AO3 - doesn’t explain why some actions are labelled as deviant by some and not others
Assumes an act is not deviant until it has been labelled as such but people are aware when an act is deviant
Becker: Moral Entrepreneurs
- Examined who has the power to attach deviant labels
- Introduces Moral Entrepreneurs (media, police) who have the power to create and enforce rules whilst imposing their own definitions of deviance, creates more outsiders - people outside of the law
- Drill is a legal act but performing a song was made illegal, two drill artists were given prison sentences due to references to murder and violence, they broke the Criminal Behaviour Order which forbids them from mentioning death, injury etc. and they did this by performing a song
- Criminalised the non-criminal act of performing a song
- Led to more deviance as an act that was previously legal became illegal, meaning more people were acting outside of the law (e.g. banning of smoking in pubs)
AO3 - Marxists would argue deviant labels are a result of social class inequalities in a Capitalist society
Cicourel: ‘Negotiation of Justice’
- Argues the social context (who is performing the act) influences the application of the label and how the CJS respond to it
- Police have a stereotype of the ‘typical delinquent’ (WC, young, deprived backgrounds, poor education)
- Assume young criminals are from broken homes with poor parenting and in poverty
- The label of delinquency is attached to WC youths and not MC youths for the same behaviours - WC more likely to be arrested and charged as they fit the stereotype of the typical delinquent, MC less likely
- Suggests there is a negotiation of justice
- Police are influenced by the stereotype of the typical delinquent - WC youths who are drunk and disorderly are seen as deviant whilst MC youths doing the same thing is seen as normal behaviour
- Police perceive MC youths as being from good backgrounds and so focus on WC youths which creates a class bias
- More lenient with MC cases (likely to be dropped or get a reduced sentence)
- Harsher sentences for WC cases
AO3 - sometimes the system works against the rich, millionaire’s daughter given a 2 year sentences for driving around looters during the London riots 2011 - given a higher sentence due to her background, still influenced by social context
Marxists believe it keeps the WC in a state of false class consciousness as no MC crimes are brought to attention
Lemert: Primary Deviance
Primary deviance: deviance that has not publicly been labelled as deviant e.g. downloading illegal music without anyone knowing about it (no deviant label is given)
Lemert: Secondary Deviance + AO3
Secondary deviance: occurs once a person has been discovered and publicly labelled as deviant e.g. stigma attached to people known to download child pornography
- Lead to a societal reaction - label of deviant leads to more deviant behaviour
AO3 - does not explain the causes of deviant behaviour which comes before the Labelling process
Cohen would argue young men smoke cannabis to look cool and gain status
Effects of Labelling: Master Status (Young)
- A deviant label can become a master status in response to a societal reaction (only seen in relation to that label)
- E.g. being known as a ‘paedophile’ for downloading child pornography, ignoring other labels such as co-worker, father, husband etc.
- Secondary deviance has begun (labelled and become public)
- Lead to more deviance - individuals only sees themselves as that label, leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy
- Unable to secure work for themselves and develop a deviant career
AO3 - relevant to today’s society, people in the news only described with their master status, ignoring their other labels and roles
Young: Notting Hill Hippies (AO2)
- Primary deviance = drug use was peripheral to their lifestyle and was not publicly labelled as deviant
- Secondary deviance = persecution and labelling by the police made drug was a central activity, made to feel like outsiders
- Self-fulfilling prophecy = labelling from the police made them retreat into a closed knit group and form a deviant subculture (more heavy drug use)
- Master status = primarily seen as drug users (societal reaction influenced their actions) and not for their ideas of love and peace
Effects of Labelling: Deviant Career
- People are labelled, become ‘outsiders’, blocking their opportunities (cannot get a job) -> develop a deviant career (life of crime)
- E.g. Labelled as a ‘crook’, no employment opportunities as no one trusts them - turn to crime because they lack legitimate options
- Self-fulfilling prophecy likely to develop -> labelled as a ‘thief’ so steal more because they believe they are one
- Societal reaction and application of a label can cause more deviant and criminal behavior
AO3 - too deterministic, labelling does not always lead to SFP, attachment of deviant label and the stigma attached by societal reaction may reduce deviance - so mortified by being caught shoplifting that they never do it again
Effects of Labelling: Moral Panics, Deviancy Amplification - Stan Cohen (AO1)
- Exaggerated media coverage of a group/ individual with a deviant label can generate a moral panic - a wave of public concern
- Those with deviant labels are presented as folk devils - seen as a threat to society and made scapegoats to blame for social problems, became outsiders
- Results in the public demanding harsher punishments and measures to deal with the folk devils (more arrests, higher fines etc.)
- Police action can amplify what was originally minor or isolated deviant behaviour = more arrests
- More police action + exaggerated media coverage = more deviance (encouraged to act up and misbehave because of the cameras)
- Deviancy amplification = media create or worsen the problems they condemn
Effects of Labelling: Moral Panics, Deviancy Amplification - Mods + Rockers (AO2)
- Cohen studied media coverage of two groups of young people (M+R)
- 1964 - few scuffles in Clacton with some stone throwing, broken windows and wrecked beach huts (minor conflicts)
- Media (moral entrepreneur) condemned their actions, exaggerated the level of violence and no. of young people involved, creating a moral panic
- Became folk devils
- Led to deviancy amplification - police crackdown on M+R created more deviance
- Young people watched this on TV and travelled to join in the violence, creating more deviance
Effects of Labelling: Moral Panics, Deviancy Amplification (AO3)
- Relevant to today’s society
- Media claims drill artists are responsible for knife crime
- Turn them into folk devils and scapegoats for London’s knife crime
-> results in deviancy amplification with the increase in police action (issuing Criminal Behaviour Orders banning)
