Interactionism and Labelling Theory 1
- Created by: Jakeyboy13579
- Created on: 30-09-20 16:20
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- Interactionism and Labelling Theory 1
- All of the previous theories take the official definitions of crime and criminals for granted. They assume that crime is activity that breaks the law and criminals are the people who behave in this way
- They also take it for granted that official crime stats are a reasonably accurate picture of the real patterns of crime
- Other theorists attempt to discover the causes of crime and provide a solution
- They also take it for granted that official crime stats are a reasonably accurate picture of the real patterns of crime
- Becker (1963): Defining Deviance
- Becker said "The deviant is one to whom the label has successfully been applied; deviant behaviour is behaviour that people so label"
- Becker argues that an act only becomes deviant when others label it as such
- Becker suggested that the process by which people take on an identity given to them by others could be regarded as a 'deviant career'
- He argued that this process is going on all the time in the area of deviance, as people gradually attain status of being anything from a 'drug addict' to a 'child abuser'
- Clearly the 'deviant career' cannot progress without other people labelling a person
- He argued that this process is going on all the time in the area of deviance, as people gradually attain status of being anything from a 'drug addict' to a 'child abuser'
- Just because someone breaks a rule it does not necessarily mean other people will define it as deviant
- Someone has to enforce the rules or at least draw attention to them
- Moral entrepreneurs
- Someone has to enforce the rules or at least draw attention to them
- Jock Young: The Drug Takers (1971)
- Young's study illustrates the concepts of labelling, self fulfilling prophecy and master status
- He studied hippie weed users in Notting Hill during the 60s
- He found that the consequence of police targeting the group served to widen the differences between hippies and conventional society
- Drug taking, which had been an 'essentially peripheral activity' became 'of greater value to the group as a symbol of their difference and of their defiance against perceived injustices'
- In this context, a deviant subculture developed and individuals labelled as outsiders began to see them selves as different from non drug takers
- This made it harder for the outsiders to re-enter wider society
- In this context, a deviant subculture developed and individuals labelled as outsiders began to see them selves as different from non drug takers
- Drug taking, which had been an 'essentially peripheral activity' became 'of greater value to the group as a symbol of their difference and of their defiance against perceived injustices'
- He found that the consequence of police targeting the group served to widen the differences between hippies and conventional society
- He studied hippie weed users in Notting Hill during the 60s
- Young's study illustrates the concepts of labelling, self fulfilling prophecy and master status
- Cooley (1902): The Looking Glass Self
- Cooley suggests that a good way to describe how we see ourselves is the 'looking glass self'
- By this, he meant that we build our identity primarily as a result of how others act and respond to us
- Therefore if everyone sees you as a criminal then you will see yourself as one and you will be more likely to commit crime
- By this, he meant that we build our identity primarily as a result of how others act and respond to us
- Cooley suggests that a good way to describe how we see ourselves is the 'looking glass self'
- Lemert (1972): Primary and Secondary Deviance
- Edwin Lemert makes the distinction between primary and secondary deviance:
- Primary deviance refers to deviant acts which have not been publicly labelled. Usually this has little effect on our identity and status in society
- Secondary deviance refers to acts which have been publicly labelled as deviant and the deviance which is generated is because of this labelling
- Edwin Lemert makes the distinction between primary and secondary deviance:
- All of the previous theories take the official definitions of crime and criminals for granted. They assume that crime is activity that breaks the law and criminals are the people who behave in this way
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