Sociological theories of criminality: Interactionism Flashcards
What is a label?
A name, meaning, or definition attached to a person or act
What is primary deviance?
Acts that have not been publicly labelled – usually trivial and uncaught. Offenders don’t see themselves as criminal
What is secondary deviance?
Results from labelling – people treat the offender solely in terms of their label – this becomes their master status
What is SFP?
The individual lives up to the label they have been given
What is media exaggeration?
The media make the story about a crime seem worse than it is
What is a moral entrepreneur?
Someone of high status who publicly calls for a crackdown on crime
What are folk devils?
A group or individual who is labelled negatively by society
What are typifications?
Ideas (usually held by the police) about what a typical criminal is like
What is a social construction?
Something that has been made or defined by society rather than occurring naturally
What was the study of Cohen and the mods and rockers?
Cohen uses the Mods and Rockers study to explain the amplification spiral
What is media exaggeration linking to Cohen and the mods and rockers?
Media exaggeration caused growing public concern
What are moral entrepreneurs linking to Cohen and the mods and rockers?
Moral entrepreneurs called for a crackdown leading to more arrests, and more concern
What is negative labelling linking to Cohen and the mods and rockers?
Negative labelling of mods and rockers as folk devils
