CRIME
The Labelling Perspective in Criminology
Understanding the Labelling Perspective
Social Construction of Deviance
Deviance is not inherent but constructed through societal interactions
Highlights how power dynamic influence which behaviours are labeled as deviant and the consequences of such labels for individuals
What is considered deviant and normal is relative to time and place
Shift from Positivism to Relativism
Paradigm Shift in Criminology
Significant change in criminological thought, emphasizing the nature of crime and the influence of social contexts on deviance
Just because it is the what it is doesn’t mean that the way it should be
Cultural Context and Deviance
Relativism highlight definitions of deviance are culturally constructed
Challenges the universal standards for criminal behaviour
Highlights the 1960’s
Civil rights movements, women’s rights, ani-Vietnam war protests, protests, marches activism
People resists systems that don’t work for them
Eg. doesn’t address individual needs or experience (gender and race wise) most likely to challenge
Eg. singing loudly might not be acceptable in one context but can be acceptable in another
Symbolic interactions explore, order, organize and shape behaviour in different spaces
Key Theorists and their Contributions
Edwin Lemert Deviance Framework
primary and secondary deviance
Primary: initial act of deviance or crime
Secondary: leading to the individual adopting deviant identity
Eg. A drunk person is confronted and their reaction might escalate leading to further deviance (A response to deviance = more deviance)
How societal reactions shape individual identities and the transition from initial deviant acts to deviant self-concept
Shifted focus from individual actions to the roles of the state in shaping deviance
Howard Beckers Social Construction
Deviance is shaped by social contexts
Defined by societal reaction rather than inherent qualities and highlighting the role of power in labeling behaviours
Social norms and values determine what is acceptable and what isn’t
Eg. Criminalization of Mariana use due to moral panic
Erving Goff mans Stigma Analysis
How stigma affects identity management
The impact of negative labels on individuals and their experiences of social exclusion and discrimination
A way the character of a person is “polluted” (carrying a stain due to criminal label)
Repairing the polluted identity through impression management
Eg. People coming out of prison covering their mouths because they go yellow teeth and don’t want people to see
Symbolic Interactionism
Meaning emerges in symbols and social interaction
Reality is constructed through interaction with others
The social self is produced and influenced in socialization
How we afterwards affects how others see us
How we see ourselves is mirrored in others’ treatment of us
Our actions and appearances influence how others perceive us
“The Looking Glass Self”
We constantly engage in how we look in performance and how we see the person in front of us (how they think of you)
Eg. Teachers need student and vice versa
Eg. Parents view you as wonderful, girlfriend views you as perfect, an ex with think of you as the devil lol
Role affirmations
Interaction reaffirms the roles we play
Eg. A teacher instructs students to listen (reforming teacher-student dynamic) teacher reaffirms through mannerism, presentations, teaching
Performance Breach
Occurs when an individual deviates from their expected role
Eg. When someone doesn’t do what they promised to do (not meeting deadlines, expectations)
Eg. A teacher touching a students hair is a gender breach
Eg. (Chicago School) disrupting social norms to observe peoples reactions: a person faces the back instead of the door in an elevator, causing others to question the norm
Symbols
Role in reaffirming positions and roles within society
Eg. Maple leaf = Canada
Eg. Classroom symbols: desks, chairs, projector, white board
Stigma of the Criminal Label
Mortification Process
Being stripped off rights to identity
Replaced with identity of a criminal
Youth criminal justice is based off labelling
RECAP
Social positivism
Assumed the owl can be observed objectively
Creating unbiased understanding of the world around us
Idea stared from 1960’s
Injustices seen in court
Criminal justice system
Civil rights movement
Symbolic interactionism focused on how we interact with ourselves, other, and the world around us to create meaning
Shared meaning (culture): identity a desk as a desk
But meaning can be relative: eg. War in Bosnia 1990’s a desk would symbolize as a bombshell and a source of safety
Eg. Murder (depends on who gets to define them)
Times of war murder can mean a casualty of war, but through a mothers perspective she can view it as murder
Meaning comes from interactions
Eg. Catch me if you can movie when main lead pretends he is the sub teacher and the students conformed with it because he is doing protocol
Symbolic interactionism emphasized social world is not fixed but actively negotiated and created through interactions
Situations and Behaviors are not static
Based on context, interaction, time
Eg. Talking about witchcraft in modern classroom = inappropriate but compared to when it was once a serious matter in societies that believed in witches
The looking glass self
We see ourselves as we think others see us as
Our impressions based on how we want others to perceive us
Labels are powerfully symbols that shape how people are perceived and treated (if you change the label it can change the way people act towards you)
Mortification Process
Being stripped off rights and identity as a labelled criminal
Eg. Arrest, public exposure, strip searches
Eg. A student is caught cheating but after mortification the student is labeled as a “cheating student”
Challenging Norms and Labels
Social movements actively challenges established norms
Reframing action previously embed unacceptable as legitimate expressions of resistance ad justice
Advocacy of social movements lead to significant cultural shifts (particularly in marginalized groups)
Influence of power dynamics, dominate groups often dictate deviance labels
Primary vs. Secondary Deviance
Primary: deviant acts that don’t necessarily alter an individuals self-identity
Eg. Engaging in criminal activities without considering oneself a criminal
Consequence of Secondary: societal labels transform self-perception, leading individuals to adopt deviant identities and behaviours, reinforcing a cycle of deviance
criminal label = master status (leading individuals to identity with it)
Eg. Individual internalizing the “criminal” label after prison and continuing crime/deviant behaviour
The Role of Stigmatization in Criminal Identity Formation
Internalization of Labels
Individual labeled as criminals often internalize these identities, reinforcing criminal behaviour and deviant self-concept
Changes in self perception, social isolation, reinforcing of labels through media, difficulty in altering perceptions
Social isolation effects
Stigmatization results in social isolation, lowering self-esteem and pushing more towards deviant subcultures that can enhance their criminal identities
Impact of Media Representation
Media can amplify stigmatization, shaping public perceptions and reinforcing negative stereotypes
Reinforces negative labels and stereotypes, perpetuating societal interactions
Individuals ma develop coping mechanisms and embrace a criminal lifestyle due to labelling and interactions
Publication Ban t protect youth
prevents media and public from publishing names of youth in court or any public forum (including SNS)
Youth criminal justice association of 2003
Diversion, keep individuals out of criminal justice system
Can act as a bias making it hard for individuals to escape once they are caught
Juvenile Delinquents Act, 1908: a new way of thinking about the youth, different from child and adults, social welfare approach
Young Offenders Act of 1984: more accountability and rights for young people, records are suspended until they turn 18
Youth Criminal Justice Act of 2003, keeping young people out of court and custody