Interactionist theories of crime

?
  • Created by: jesskeayy
  • Created on: 30-05-17 14:53
View mindmap
  • Interactionist theories of crime
    • We change our actions based upon how we think others see us
      • This prevents us becoming deviant, as we do not want to become stigmatised within society
    • Many actions that we see as 'criminal' are based around societal expectations
      • Nudity is legal in Germany yet illegal in britain
    • Social factors depend on whether an action is deviant or not
      • Nakedness is okay in the bathroom but not in the streets
      • Killing people is acceptable in the war but not in peace times
      • Alcohol abuse is accepted in western countries but is illegal in Saudi arabia
    • GOFFMAN- LABELLING
      • People that have a stigma against them will be treated differently in society- due to labelling
        • i.e. people with mental illness may warn people through jokes about their illness, to prevent 'offending the normal'
    • BECKER- LABELLING & MASTER STATUS
      • Social label becomes the defining characteristic of a person- seen as MASTER STATUS
      • Person is labelled as deviant, person is socially rejected, they become more deviant, they then socialise with other deviants with the same status
    • WILKINS- DEVIANT AMPLIFICATION
      • Primary deviance, alienation, increased social reaction, deviant subculture, social reaction, increased deviance
    • CRITICISMS
      • Strength is that they recognise that deviance is a social interaction. Lots of things happen before a person is deemed 'deviant'
      • Believe that statistics are a social creation, made o back up reasons for laws etc
      • LEA & YOUNG- criticise for looking at only labelling, rather than social factors i.e. young or the poor
      • Does not explain why some people are more likely to be labelled- i.e. poor/ ethnic minorities
      • Overlooks significance of social structure when looking into why people commit crime

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar Sociology resources:

See all Sociology resources »See all Crime and deviance resources »