social explanations of crime: labelling Flashcards
define ‘labelling’
general / broad terms used to describe members of a group which enable us to make judgements about what kind of person someone is and will affect how society behaves towards them
how does labelling link to criminality?
*stereotypes made about a person
*people are treated differently which affects their self concept and they internalise the label so it becomes their master status
*the offender seeks support from deviant groups as they are isolated from society which draws them further into crime
what is primary deviance?
an initial rule breaking act performed by an otherwise socially compliant individual
what is secondary deviance?
deviant behaviour which results from being publically labelled as deviant
what is formal labelling?
labels given to an individual by someone who has the formal status to discern deviant behaviour
what is informal labelling?
labels given to an individual by someone who does not have the formal status to discern deviant behaviour
what is stereotype?
overgeneralised belief about someone or something typically based on limited info
what is prejudice?
dislike/unfair behaviour based on false misguided opinions
what is discrimination?
practice of treating one person or a group differently from another in an unfair way
what is the process of labelling (used to describe members of a group if they’re seeing/sharing an interest or a characteristic based on stereotype) ?
label is given by a powerful majority often based on stereotypes
person is then treated according to the label given
the label becomes the master status
their self-concept changes
what is a strength of labelling theory (PEE)?
-besemer
a strength of labelling theory as an explanation of crime is supporting evidence from Besemer. they studied the extent to which children of convicted parents had a higher risk of conviction themselves because of official bias towards ‘criminal families’. they found they families do not transmit criminal behaviour to their children but families labelled as criminal can influence their future behaviour and are paid more attention to so children are more likely to be caught and found guilty. therefore, this shows that placing a label by powerful groups can cause individuals to eventually live up to it because of the label.
what is a strength of labelling theory (PEE)?
- chambliss
a strength of labelling theory as an explanation of crime is supporting evidence from Chambliss. they studied ‘saint’ students and ‘roughneck’ students from Hanibal High. they found that even though the crimes from both groups were the same, all but 2 of the 7 ‘roughnecks’ who were labelled as delinquent, became criminals but 7 out of the 8 saints went to college. therefore, this shows that placing a label on a group can cause those individuals to live up to this label because of the blocked opportunities and low expectations of society.
what are the applications of labelling theory?
labelling suggests that we become criminals due to being outcasted by society. therefore, highlighting if labelling someone as a ‘criminal’ can be prevented, this could reduce crime and keep society safe.
what is a weakness of labelling theory (PEE)?
a weakness of labelling theory as an explanation for crime is that it could be an reductionist. for example, it emphasises the interactive process of labelling, ignoring the process leading up to the initial deviant act; such as personality or socioeconomic differences. therefore, without accounting for individual differences in the reasons for crime or motivation to offend, labelling theory is an incomplete explanation of crime.
