Topic 2- Interactionism and Labelling Theory Flashcards
what do labelling theorists argue about how someone becomes a criminal?
- no act is inherently criminal
- it only comes about when someone label it as criminal
- it is not the nature of the act but society’s reaction
what does Becker argue about a deviant and how they get called that?
- a deviant is someone who a label has been successfully applied
- deviant behvaiour is behaviour that has been labelled
what are the 2 effects of creating laws according to Becker?
- creation of outsiders- people who break new laws
- creation of a social control agency like police or courts to enforce the rules
what is an example of a powerful group campainging for a change in law?
- US federal Bureau of Narcotics
- campainged successfully for the Marijuana Tax Act 1937
what are the 3 factors that affects who gets charged and convicted?
- their interactions with agencies
- their appearance and background
- their situation and circumstance of the offence
What did Piliavin and Briar identify about police decisions to arrest a youth?
- their decisions were based on physical cues like manner and dress
- they made judgements about the youth’s character
who speaks about the negotiation of Justice?
cicourel
what is a typification and who has them?
- stereotypes of what a typical delinquent is
- police and courts
who fit the typifications police have?
- working class
- ethnic minorities
what is the negotiation of justice?
- justice is not fixed and is negotiable
- a middle class youth is less likely to be arrested because they are less likely to fit the typification
- their parents are more likely to successfully negotiate on their behalf
- so are more likely to be councelled, warned and released than working class
who distinguishes between primary and secondary deviance?
- lemert
what is a moral entrepreneur?
- people who lead a moral crusade to change the law
what is primary deviance?
- deviant acts that not have been publically labelled
- pointless to try to understand because it is widespread and uncaught
- not organised and don’t become a habit
- don’t think of themselves as deviant
what is secondary deviance?
- result of social reaction (labelling)
- being caught and publically labelled as deviant being stigmatised and shamed or excluded
- develop a master status
- results in a self fulfilling prophecy
- cause them to act out the label and have a deviant career.
what is a master status?
- every other status like mother, teacher gets overridden by the action e.g. thief