Theories of Crime - 4.1 (Interactionism) Flashcards
General Interactionist view on Deviance as SC
> No act is deviant, but labelling makes it so, so is a SC.
Crime as Social Construct Key Sociologists
> Becker (Crime as Social Construct & ME)
> Platt (Moral Entrepeneurs)
> Briar (Diff Enforcement)
> Circourel (Typfications, NOJ, Crime Stats)
Becker (Crime as Social Construct)
> Groups create deviance through rules, applying them to ppl they see as outsiders.
> Ppl only become deviant when labelled as so.
Moral Entrepreneurs
> Ppl deciding what’s morally acceptable in society e.g. gov & parents.
> Begin mission 4 new laws created/policed in belief it’ll aid in particular vulnerable groups in society.
Platt (Moral Entrepeneurs)
> Juvenile delinquents, campaign by UC victorian ME, wanting to protect young people.
> Made juve courts & extended powers to status offences e.g. truancy.
Becker (ME)
> US Bureau of Narcotics, campaigned for Marijuana Tax Act, to protect young people
> But really to expand influence - not harmfulness of act = new law, but efforts of powerful individuals.
Briar view on Differential Enforcement
> Social Control Agencies label certain groups as criminal
> Decisions to arrest based on CAGE e.g. ASBO’s commonly given to BAME.
Circourel (Typfications)
> Police see WC as typical delinquent individuals, + police areas = + arrests, confirms stereotype.
> Saw youth delinquency, due to LPF & poverty, stigmatise WC
> So unlikely to give non-custodial sentences to them.
Marxist Criticisms of Cicourel - Typifications
Fails to locate origins of labels in unequal capitalist society.
Cicourel NOJ Diff vs WC & MC kids)
> MC, parents negotiate kid out of justice, convincing them it’s 1 off won’t occur again - let them go
> But WC don’t this feel offender deserves to be punished.
Cicourel (Crime Stats as Topic Not Resource)
> Crime stats invalid, shouldn’t be taken @ face value.
> SC, don’t tell us about DF of crime, VS & SRS should be used instead - limitations of alt
Effects of Labelling (KS)
> Lemert (PD/SD)
> Young (Hippy Marijuana Users)
> Cohen (Deviancy Amp, Mods & Rockers)
> Triplett (Labelling & CJS Policy)
> Braithwaite (Reintegrative Shaming)
PD (Lemert) (1)
> No public labelling, unnoticed/meaningless ‘’moment of madness’’
> Don’t self identify as deviant.
SD (Lemert) (1)
Results from societal reaction, caught & labelled as criminal
> = excluded from normal society. e.g. as thief, junkie, pedo
Master Status (Lemert) (3)
> Society view offender only in terms of label, so now MS & becomes SFP.
Deviant Career (Lemert) 4)
> = + hostile reactions from society, can’t make amends e.g. lack of employment.
> Now outsider, confirm deviant identity, joining deviant subculture for status
Deviancy Amplification
> Media exaggerates deviance of control 2 control them = + deviance = escalating spiral.
Folk Devils
Scapegoat, media sees as outsiders, blamed for social problems, subject of MP
Young (Hippy Marijuana Users)
> Drugs small part of hippies lifestyle, policies persecution of them as junkies.
> Develop deviant subcultures, w/ drug use as central activity
> Actions of police = + crime - DAS
Cohen (DAS & Mods & Rockers)
> Media exaggeration = MP w/ + public concern.
> ME called for crackdown, police arrested + youth, = + concern.
> Seeing M&R as FD, marginalised them further, = + deviance.
Labelling & CJS Policy - Triplett
> Tendency to see young ppl as evil & - tolerant of minor deviance, = +deviance
> So logical to have fewer rules e.g. decriminalising soft drugs
>
- NO w/ convictions & end shame culture.
Braithwaite (Disintegrative Shaming)
Crime & D shamed & excluded from society
Braithwaite (Reintegrative Shaming)
> Label act not actor, opportunity for person to be forgiven, stops labelling so no SFP.
> e.g. Rehabilitation & Restorative Justice
Criticisms of Braithwaite
Focus on how to rehabilitate offenders, not why they offend in 1st place.
