Interactionism: Theories of Crime and Deviance

Labelling Theory (Becker)

What do interactionists argue about official crime statistics?

official statistics are socially constructed and reflect the activities of criminal justice agencies rather than actual levels of crime

What is labelling?

the process by which individuals or groups are defined and treated as deviant by others

Which sociologist developed labelling theory?

Becker

What did Becker argue about deviance?

deviance is not a quality of an act but the result of society's reaction to that act

What is a moral entrepreneur?

an individual or group that campaigns to create or enforce rules about what is considered deviant

What role do moral entrepreneurs play in creating deviance?

they influence which behaviours are labelled deviant and which groups are targeted

What is primary deviance (Lemert)?

deviant behaviour that has not been publicly labelled and does not affect an individual's identity

What is secondary deviance (Lemert)?

deviant behaviour that results from an individual accepting and acting upon a deviant label

How can secondary deviance develop (Lemert)?

individuals may internalise a deviant label and begin to see themselves as deviant

What is a master status (Lemert)?

a label that becomes the dominant feature of an individual's identity

How can a deviant label become a master status (Lemert)?

the label may overshadow all other aspects of an individual's identity

What is the self-fulfilling prophecy?

the process by which an individual becomes the person they are labelled as being

How does labelling lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy?

individuals may accept the label and behave in ways that confirm it

What is a deviant career (Lemert)?

a pattern of increasingly deviant behaviour resulting from the application of deviant labels

What did Lemert argue about deviance?

societal reactions to primary deviance can lead to secondary deviance

What did Young find in his study of marijuana users?

police labelling increased group cohesion and encouraged further deviance

How does Young's study support labelling theory?

it shows how social reactions can amplify deviance rather than reduce it

What is deviancy amplification?

the process by which attempts to control deviance actually increase it

How can criminal justice agencies contribute to deviancy amplification?

labelling and targeting individuals can encourage further offending

What did Cicourel argue about juvenile crime statistics?

they reflect police stereotypes and decision-making rather than actual levels of offending

How did Cicourel explain the over-representation of working-class youths in official crime statistics?

police officers were more likely to stereotype and label them as delinquent

What is a criticism of interactionist explanations of crime and deviance?

they focus on societal reactions to crime but pay less attention to the original causes of offending

What is a Marxist criticism of labelling theory?

labelling theory fails to explain why some individuals have the power to create and apply labels while others do not