2416286
Description
Mind Map by rahima_khan, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by rahima_khan
over 9 years ago
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How do interactionists explain crime?
(Labelling Theory)
- Mistakes most theories make is that
they assume law-breakers are
somehow different from law-abiding
people.
- Most people commit deviant and criminal
acts but only some are caught and
stigmatised for it
- Howard Becker
- Just because someone breaks a rule it
does not necessarily follow that others
will define it as deviant.
- Someone has to enforce the rules, or at least, draw
attention to them – these people usually have a vested
interest in the issue.
- If the person is successfully labelled then consequences
follow. Once publicly labelled as deviant, an offender is
left facing a limited number of options.
- If the person is successfully labelled then consequences
follow. Once publicly labelled as deviant, an offender is
left facing a limited number of options.
- Someone has to enforce the rules, or at least, draw
attention to them – these people usually have a vested
interest in the issue.
- He illustrated a point "Injecting heroin
into your arm is not deviant, because it
is fine if a nurse does it under doctors
orders. It only becomes deviant when
society defines it as such"
- Applicable to other facets of social life-
warriors allowed to kill during times of war
but not times of peace
- Applicable to other facets of social life-
warriors allowed to kill during times of war
but not times of peace
- Just because someone breaks a rule it
does not necessarily follow that others
will define it as deviant.
- Responding to and Enforcing the Rules
- Most Sociologists argue that once a deviant or criminal act has
been committed then the response will be uniform
- Not the case as people respond differently to
deviance or rule breaking.
- For example in 1960's gay men more likely to
be stigmatised than now.
- For example in 1960's gay men more likely to
be stigmatised than now.
- Not the case as people respond differently to
deviance or rule breaking.
- British Crime Survey Statistics
- Show young black males more likely to be stopped and
searched than any other group.
- Results of police officers belief they they are more likely to offend
than any other social group- therefore become subjects of routine
suspicion.
- Results of police officers belief they they are more likely to offend
than any other social group- therefore become subjects of routine
suspicion.
- Show young black males more likely to be stopped and
searched than any other group.
- Most Sociologists argue that once a deviant or criminal act has
been committed then the response will be uniform
- Symbolic interactionism/
labelling theory
- Actions are by nature criminal or deviant- depends on the
norms and values of society
- The reaction of members of society in different context and situations
- The reaction of members of society in different context and situations
- Actions are by nature criminal or deviant- depends on the
norms and values of society
- Interactionists believe there is no
deviance only acts which are labelled as
deviant
- Reiner (1994)
- Ethnic minorities or
working-class youths living in
specific areas are targeted
more by police
- Ethnic minorities or
working-class youths living in
specific areas are targeted
more by police
- Cicourel (1976)
- Studied police and juvenile officers in California- found police
more likely to arrest people who fitted the picture ie- poor
school performance- low income background- ethnic
minorities.
- In contrast
- Middle-class delinquents who were
arrested tended to be counselled,
cautioned and released by police officer.
- Middle-class delinquents who were
arrested tended to be counselled,
cautioned and released by police officer.
- Labelling theory shows how
authority figures have ability to
create social characteristics of
typical delinquents as being young,
working class males.
- Contrast significantly with functionalist/ subcultural
notions of crime & deviance.
- Studied police and juvenile officers in California- found police
more likely to arrest people who fitted the picture ie- poor
school performance- low income background- ethnic
minorities.
- Primary and secondary deviance
- Lemert
- Moved interactionism forward by arguing
there's a difference between primary and
secondary deviance
- Primary deviance - acts which have not been publicly defined as deviant
- Secondary Deviance - Publicly defined as
deviant
- Shows how deviance is a two stage proccess
- First identified then agents of social control get involved
- First identified then agents of social control get involved
- Secondary Deviance - Publicly defined as
deviant
- Primary deviance - acts which have not been publicly defined as deviant
- Moved interactionism forward by arguing
there's a difference between primary and
secondary deviance
- Lemert
- Societal Reaction
- Jock Young
- Simply being labelled as deviant
creates self fulfilling prophecy -
labelled individual acts according
to label given to them.
- Example: 1960's hippies used dope as part of
lifestyle- once labelled as dope users they began
to use dope as THE symbol of their difference
rather than A symbol.
- Example: 1960's hippies used dope as part of
lifestyle- once labelled as dope users they began
to use dope as THE symbol of their difference
rather than A symbol.
- Simply being labelled as deviant
creates self fulfilling prophecy -
labelled individual acts according
to label given to them.
- Stan Cohen
- Media amplified- exaggerated the
extent of disturbances
- Called this exaggeration 'deviancy amplification
spiral' which perpetuated further disturbances
into moral panic.
- Called this exaggeration 'deviancy amplification
spiral' which perpetuated further disturbances
into moral panic.
- Media amplified- exaggerated the
extent of disturbances
- Jock Young
- Evaluation
- Pros
- Identifies significance of labelling in the judicial process
- Shows how groups are labelled and identified accordingly
- Shows how once certain characteristics are identified with
a particular social group these subsequent atributes are
identified and then acted upon by agents of social control
- Identifies significance of labelling in the judicial process
- Cons
- Fails to account why certain groups are labelled and not others
- Ignores who makes the rules/ laws
- Marxists looked for these answers
- Fails to account why certain groups are labelled and not others
- Pros
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