crime and deviance
- Created by: Molly
- Created on: 01-12-12 16:48
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- labelling theory ( interactionalist theories of crime )
- suggests many people involve themeselves in some deviant or illegal behaviour so it is hard to sustain distinction between deviants and non deviants, attempts to explain the causes.
- official crime statistics are regarded as social constructions, do not reveal the real pattern of crime
- 1. the interaction between deviants and those who define them as deviant and why particular individuals and groups defined as deviant and the cirmumstances in which this occurs
- focus on...
- 2. the process whereby rules are selcetivelyy enforced and why the response to rule breaking is not always the same.
- 1. the interaction between deviants and those who define them as deviant and why particular individuals and groups defined as deviant and the cirmumstances in which this occurs
- 3. consequences of being labelled deviant
- 4. cirmumstances in which a person becomes set apart and defined as deviant
- 5. analysis of who has the power to attatch deviant labels and make them 'stick'
- howard becker (1997)
- suggests that an act only becomes deviant when others periceve and define it as such.
- Becker calls groups such as the mass media and the police who have the power and resourcs to create or enforce rules and impose their definitions of deviance, moral entrepeneurs.
- selective law enforcement
- agencies of control use considerable discretion and selective judgement in deciding whether and how to deal with deviant behaviour
- cicourel (1976)
- he suggests their subjective perceptions and steryotupes can affect whether criminal labels are attatched and how these lead to social construction of crime statistics.
- primary and secondary deviance
- lemert (1972) primary deviance is that has not been publically labelled as such, d.g use of illegal drugs , no consequences unless someone finds out.
- secondary deviance follows once a persin has been publicaly labelled as deviant.
- self fulfilling prophecy
- becker suggests that the labelling process can lead to self fullffilling prophecy
- evaluation
- provides insights into the nature of deviance.
- challenges the idea that deviants are different from normal people
- importance in reactions of others
- shows how labelling can lead to self fulfilling prophecy
- removes the blame for deviance away from the deviant onto those that define it
- assumes an act isnt deviant untul its labelled as deviant
- dosent explain causes of deviant behaviour
- too deterministic
- dosent explain why there are different reactions to deviance
- little to say about the victims of crime
- suggests many people involve themeselves in some deviant or illegal behaviour so it is hard to sustain distinction between deviants and non deviants, attempts to explain the causes.
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