Labelling Theory (Week 10) Flashcards
What is the response to crime?
To try to divert people who commit crime from formal justice system
What is the method of crime prevention?
Decriminalisation and radical nonintervention
How should the criminal justice systems operate?
It should erase stigmatising effect
Have greater tolerance
Minimal intervention
What is the nature of crime?
It is determined by labelling process
What is the cause of crime?
Stigmatisation and negative effects of labelling?
What is the focus of labelling theory?
The relationship between offender and those with power to label
Key theorists?
Cohen, Becker, Lemert
Young, Katz, Ferrell
Scher, Mead, Sykes and Matza
Who was first attributed with the use of the idea of moral panic?
Young
Who focuses on understanding 1st act of deviancy?
Lemert
When does Lemert say 2nd stage of deviancy occurs?
A person doesn’t change their self-concept until 2nd deviation: a more permanent committing of crime.
This is when their fundamental re-orientation occurs
Who says social groups create deviance by making rules?
Becker
Becker says what is crucial to explaining criminalisation process?
The impact of social reaction
Who are more vulnerable to labels?
Young people acc: Becker
Becker says youth should be free from what?
Official intervention
What do Sykes and Matza explore?
Why young people further propel into crime
Who says all people drift between temporary states of deviancy and non-deviancy?
Sykes and Matza
What causes permanency of state of criminality according to Sykes and Matza?
A reaction from society
What relationship is Katz interested in?
Between crime and the emotional state of the offender
Who suggests that KNOWLEDGE of the labelling process constitutes impetus to engage in crime?
Katz
Who talks about cultural crim, saying an increase of routine in life increases want of excitement to alleviate mundanity?
Ferrel
Who talked about moral panic and mods and rockers?
Cohen
What does Cohen say about cause of crime?
Over dramatisation and demonisation of small offences and groups = social disorder (shift in norms and values between gens) = clash of values and over reporting = further criminalisation
Marginalisation is a product of changing social order according to who?
Cohen
Who relates to Chicago school?
Mead
What does mead say about self?
It is built through social interaction
Who talks about symbolic interactionist perspective?
mead
What’s a key example of labelling theory?
Gangs (gang 49)
Jurisdictional response: limit court publicity, finger print restrictions, destruction of crim records at a certain age on proviso of no more offences.
State govn: tattoo removal scheme in vic-80’s
How might labelling play out?
Demonisation of groups for small incidents, creates sets of social and structural responses to further criminalise them. = moral panic
(Mods and rockers)
What’s the process of labelling?
Social groups create rules - which constitute deviance - apply rules to particular ppl - label outsiders.
What does labelling say is the cause of deviance?
Deviance is not the quality of the act BUT the consequence of application of others sanctions and responses
What is crime acc to labelling?
A social process
What does crime involve?
Different perspectives and perceptions of what good and bad behaviour is.
Who defines what crime is?
Particular powerful relationships, and it is designated by those who have the power to label others
What are the stages of crime?
Primary deviance - the initial act that causes others to label that person as deviant
Secondary deviance - stable pattern of criminology causes by labelling
Labelling always causes?
Negative effects
For labelling to successfully cause crime….
That person must “take on” the label
Who is more vulnerable to labels?
The powerless and young
What is the deterrence hypothesis?
The label of delinquent youth is form of legal punishment that eaters future delinquency by increasing youths perception of risk
What is the stigmatising effect?
The more frequent and prolonged contact with jury system = more likely offender to accept label = continue criminal acts
What is the focus of labelling theory?
It concerns the nature of interaction between: offender-victim-crim justice system
What’s the process of labelling?
Label attached to act - person responds - behaviour altered to conform - reaffirms label- deviance amplification - career of deviant affected
What is crime defined by? And by who?
Social action AND reaction
Conferred by those who have power to label
