Interactionalism

Becker

Crime is socially constructed and the idea of ‘moral entrepreneurs’ who lead crusade to change the law. Police and public are ‘ME’ and decide society is deviant.

cicourel

-how labelling affects policing- police use ‘tipifications’ when selecting people to stop (ethnicity, age, class). based on stereotypes ‘black males are dangerous’

Edwin Lemert

1)primary deviance- deviant acts people do but society isn’t aware of e.g. drink driving, speeding (no one knows about it then theres no label)

2) secondary deviance - when someone gets caught the deviance becomes secondary and can become a ‘master status’ e.g someone accessing child pornography is labelled a paedophile

Cohen

What happens when groups are labelled: ‘Mods and rockers’ - in 60s two youth subcultures. The two groups travelled to the coast where a small amount of trouble occurred and arrests were made. Press reported this and demonised the groups which led to more police and more mods and rockers and more public. Next bank holiday consequence was more arrests and stricter rules, Cohen called this the amplification spiral.

Piliavin and briar

Police selectively enforce the laws based on the time of day, area, physical characteristics and gender.