social explanation of criminality

Question 1

labelling

Answer 1

-is when the majority group sees the minority group as inferior and uses inferior terms when talking about them. Labelling can have negative connotations and can lead to criminality but there are positive ones too. Labelling leads to stereotypes the same way prejudice does.
- Labelling people as deviant marks them out and it becomes their aster status that overrides other. Individual is seen only as a criminal. Public labelling can lead to self fulfilling prophecy where the individual performs more deviant behavior and accept label.

Question 2

labeling evidence

Answer 2

Piliavian and Blair 1964
- Found that police make decisions on arresting youth bases on physical clues and make judgements on the youth’s character. Decisions also influenced by youths gender, ethnicity, time and place showing the process of labelling.
Cicourels 1976
- studied police and probation officers in California. 2 groups were typical delinquents as coming from broken homes, low income household, poor school performance. Young people who fitted the picture were arrested and those close to picture were charged with criminal offence. The police officers created typical delinquents.

Question 3

self-fulfilling prophecy

Answer 3

it is also known as the Pygmalion effect. when an individual receives a label it is an evaluation of a person and overrides their identity as a parent or friend. Others respond to them using these labels. self concept partially develops from responses of others so label is internalized. Deviant identity becomes dominant.