Topic 2 - Labelling Theory

The Social Construct Of Deviance - 

• Deviance is a social construct
• BECKER (1963) -
  • social groups create deviance by creating rules and applying them to particular people who they label as 'outsiders' 
  • Thus, an act or a person only becomes deviant when labelled by others as deviant
• Social control agencies (police, courts etc.) tend to label certain groups as criminal
• PILIAVIN AND BRIAR (1964) -
  • found that police decisions to arrest were based on stereotypical ides about manner, dress, gender, ethnicity, class, time and place
• CICOUREL (1976) - 
  • police use typification (stereotypes) of the 'typical delinquent'.
  • individuals fitting the stereotype are more likely to be stopped, arrested and charged.
    • Working-class and ethnice minority juveniles = more likely to be arrested - once arrested, those from broken homes etc are more likely to be charged
    • Middle-class juveniles = less likely to fit the stereotype and have parents who can negotiate on their behalf - less likely to be charged
• Working-class people fit police typifications so police patrol working class areas, resulting in more working class-arrests.
  • thus, statistics recorded by the police do not give a valid picture of crime patterns
  • CICOUREL - argues we cannot take crime statistics at face value or use…