sociological theories - becker’s labelling theory

Question 1

labelling theory and crime

Answer 1

• according to interactionists, everything is labelled in society
• labelling theorists claim that what makes an act CRIMINAL or DEVIANT is the way SOCIETY RESPONDS TO IT
• it is society that labels an act and a person as criminal

Question 2

labelling and SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY

Answer 2

• becker argues that the labelling process and society’s reaction to criminals can lead to a SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY, therefore creating a CAREER CRIMINAL
• the label “criminal” becomes a person’s MASTER STATUS; they are seen as a criminal rather than a mother, daughter etc.

Question 3

what happens if someone is labelled as a criminal?

Answer 3

• those labelled as a criminal will go on the face rejection from many social groups, and become an outsider in society - legitimate opportunities become limited to them because of their criminal label, and therefore, they have to resort to crime
• they may join other groups of criminals who they can identify with and who provide them with support and understanding

Question 4

selective law enforcement

Answer 4

• becker argues that agents of social control (police, courts) use selective judgement in deciding whether and how to deal with illegal behaviour
• police operate with pre-existing CONCEPTIONS/BIAS and STEREOTYPES which influence how they deal with crime they come across

Question 5

racist police forces

Answer 5

• racial stereotyping within the police
• e.g. 27.2 searches for every 1000 black people in London compared with 5.6 for every 1000 white people

Question 6

STRENGTHS of becker’s theory

Answer 6

• highlights the consequences of labelling and the effects it can have on people
• highlights the weaknesses in official statistics and the bias in the law enforcement agencies such as the police

Question 7

WEAKNESSES of becker’s theory

Answer 7

• ethical/immoral to label people which then become a self-fulfilling prophecy which leads to crime and “criminal” being their master status
• not everyone needs a label to be a criminal
• ignores the victims of crime and focuses on the criminal
• fails to explain why people commit crimes before they are labelled
• wrongly implies that once someone is labelled as a career criminal, they stick to it