Interactionist views of crime

What do interactionist believe about crime?

Everyone commits acts that would be considered criminal or deviant however it isn’t the act that gives the label it is the response of society which then labels individuals or groups.

What type of perspective is interactionism?

Micro perspective as they look at the way crime and deviance is socially constructed

What does Howard Becker say about labelling?

Crime and deviance is subjective, based on ‘moral entrepreneurs’ opinions and is a form of social control which is distributed between the powerful and deviant.

What are the consequences of labelling?

The labelled gain a ‘master status’ which shapes how others see them and creates stigma leading them to form deviant subcultures where deviance becomes more frequent.

What is the labelling process according to Becker?

1. Initial label placed on person due to act, receives rejection

2. Person believes others view them as label so encourages their deviance.

3. Then creates deviant career which many join and accept their labelled identity

4. Results in subculture formation with norms and values that support their deviance

What was Lemerts primary and secondary deviance theory?

Primary - includes deviant acts before public labelling e.g running a red light

Secondary -the reaction to societies reaction e.g continuing to fight because labelled dangerous

What was Jock Youngs ‘Hippies’ study?

Used labelling theory to investigate Notting Hill hippies in 1980s, found when labelled for exaggerated marijuana use police targeted and marijuana use increased as a result.

What is deviance amplification?

Social reaction to deviant acts leads to further defiance which leads to greater reaction

What did Triplett find (2000)?

Increasing tendency to label youth offenders as evil and to be less tolerant of minor deviance resulting in much harsher punishment which led to increased offending.

What are the strengths of interactionism?

Differentiated between social deviance and situational deviance,

micro perspective,

supported with research

influenced realist perspectives

What are the weaknesses of interactionism?

Fails to explain why only some people are labelled and why only some activities are against the law

Too deterministic - not every label makes someone more deviant

Doesn’t explain origins of deviant acts

Adler - some people commit deviant acts either way labelled or not