Labelling theory

Question 1

Becker’s intial ideas on deviance

Answer 1

• nothing essentially deviant about any act, only becomes deviant when labelled as such
• tries to identify why deviant act is deviant in one context and not another
• eg inject heroin through vein vs from nurse

Question 2

Malinowski

Answer 2

• found incest was common, wasnt talked about + accepted if discreet
• too public= reacted with abuse
• deviant act itself that wasnt significant but the reaction of others and circumstances around it

Question 3

Lemert

Answer 3

• inuit of America
• stuttering major problem amongst tribe
• stuttering considered deviant, parents overreacted negatively leading to stuttering (deviance) becoming worse over time due to reactions

Question 4

Lemert: primary and secondary deviance?

Answer 4

• primary is inital act, petty deviance eg speed on motorway
• secondary is deviant acts caused by societal reactions leading to more serious deviant acts

Question 5

evaluation of lemert/ malonwski

Answer 5

left wing- removes/ excuses blame/crime

Question 6

factors that can affect secondary deviance/ reaction to deviance?

Answer 6

• age
• the crime
• location/ context eg school v club
• characteristics of offender
• victim?

Question 7

Becker’s theory

Answer 7

Process of deviance creation
whether deviance label is applied depends on number of factors

Question 8

what are the 4 processes of deviance creation

Answer 8

1. variability
2. negotiability
3. master status
4. deviant career

Question 9

what is variability?

Answer 9

• process of labelling not straightforward
• varies according to age, gender
• to be defined as deviant dpends on who/when/where

Question 10

example of variability?

Answer 10

Kituse
- homosexual advances in 1960s
- wide variety of responses to sexual advances from members of same sex
- reacton depended on age and where

Question 11

what is negotiability?

Answer 11

• some have power to reject a negative label wheras others dont have enough resources to do so, so must accept it
• those who accept label usually have certain traits resulting in typification

Question 12

example of negotiability

Answer 12

Cicourel
- American youth crimes
- white sent to psychiatric treaments wheras others sent to prison
- police use sterotypes when stop delinquients, likely to stop delinquents in low income areas

Question 13

what is a master status?

Answer 13

• superior status, created when label successful applied
• most important in determining identity
• if labelled as deviant becomes master status and is unchangable

Question 14

what is a deviant career?

Answer 14

• when master status applied
• take self-image of deviant
• fully accepted master-status
• can be amplified + lead to more deviance (SFP)

Question 15

Goffman

Answer 15

mortification process

Question 16

what is the mortification process?

Answer 16

• when pressure placed on immates to accept insitutions definition of themselves
• upon entry- series of degradation, humiliation
• mortification process strips them of various supports helping them maintain former self-concepts
• become anxious about release as accepted their new definition, unable to function outside

Question 17

how does the mortification process lead to master status and deviant career?

Answer 17

• label of ex convict/patient becomes their master status
• accept label of mad or bad and begin deviant career

Question 18

supporting research for Goffman?

Answer 18

Rosenhan
once display symptoms of schizophrenia unable to remove label, label applied to everyone

Question 19

Jack Young

Answer 19

• police reaction to hippie (the meaning) changed world of marijuana smoker
• polices attitudes united hippes leading them to accept their differences
• drug taking becomes central activity leads to stronger police reaction that police created

Question 20

Braithwaite

Answer 20

Positive labelling

Question 21

what are the 2 types of positive labelling?

Answer 21

1. disintegrative shaming
2. reintegrative shaming

Question 22

difference between disintegrative shaming and reintegrative shaming?

Answer 22

disintegrative is the act labelled as negatively ‘bad person’ wheras reintregative is only the act labelled negatively ‘done a bad thing’

Question 23

challenge to labelling theory?

Answer 23

• removes blame from individual- idealistic
• why do people commit primary deviance in first place?
• right wing: punishment can be effective
• labels can help policing- symbolic interaction
• rejection of labels

Question 24

how does mass media contribute to labels?

Answer 24

• moral entrepreneuers seek to outlow certain behaviours through moral crusage. creates moral panic

Question 25

Stan Cohen

Answer 25

Mods and Rockers

Question 26

what did Stan Cohen do?

Answer 26

- studies medias reaction to disturbance between mods and rockers in way created moral panic

Question 27

findings from Stan Cohen?

Answer 27

- media overreated to relatively minor disorder where it produced inventory of what happened through exaggeration, prediction and symbolism - deviancy amplification spiral (medias portrayal of events produced DAS by making it seem like problem spreading. lead to further deviance

Question 28

how does deviance amplify?

Answer 28

attempts by authorities to control deviance leads to more deviance 1. deviant act occurs 2. media identifies group as folk devils 3. media exaggerate problem 4. moral panic created 5. society demands crackdown 6. further deviance occurs

Question 29

why is crime just a percived increase?

Answer 29

it is just because detecting and punishing more- level has been the same eg drug driving has increase in a month- not actual increase there has just been more detection as society demanded crackdown

Question 30

Hall

Answer 30

moral panic over "mugging" in British media in 70s served to distract attention from crisis of capitalism divide WC on racial grounds

Question 31

what 5 ways does the media influence crime?

Answer 31

1. imitation/copycat (influenced from movie) 2. knowledge (crime shows like law and order made them better criminals) 3. arosual/glamorzing crime ('heroin chic" being unhealthy thing encouraged drug taking) 4. cybercrime (internet create opps eg scams) 5. fear of crime (more tv ppl watch= higher fear of crime)