Interactionist theory

• What is delinquency defined as by Miller?


  Delinquency is simply the acting out of the lower-class focal concerns.
• What is the role of moral entrepreneurs according to Becker?


  • Lead a moral crusade to change the law
  • Create a new group of 'outsiders' (deviants)
  • Expand social control agencies to enforce the new law
• What are the two effects of new laws campaigned for by moral entrepreneurs according to Becker?


  They create a new group of 'outsiders' and expand social control agencies.
• Who argued that the term 'juvenile delinquent' was created by upper-class Victorian moral entrepreneurs?


  Platt (1969) argued that the term was created by upper-class Victorian moral entrepreneurs.
• What was the purpose of creating the term 'juvenile delinquent' according to Platt?


  To protect young people from harmful behaviors.
• What behaviours were labelled as crimes due to age according to interactionalists!

  • Truancy
  • Sexual promiscuity
• What does Becker believe about social control agencies?


  Becker believes they can campaign for change to increase their own power.
• What was the Marijuana Tax Act of 1932 associated with?


  It was associated with the US Federal Bureau of Narcotics campaigning to make cannabis illegal.
• According to Becker, what was the actual motive behind the campaign to make cannabis illegal?


  To extend the power of social control agencies, not just to prevent harm.
• What does Becker suggest about the relationship between behavior and labeling?

  It suggests that behavior is only considered deviant when it is labeled as such.
• What does Cicourel's theory of the negotiation of justice entail?

  • Officers have stereotypes of typical offenders
  • Increased patrols in poorer areas lead to more arrests of working-class individuals
  • Stereotypes affect sentencing, especially for those from single-parent families and poverty
• How did Cicourel find that middle-class youths were treated differently when arrested?

  They were less likely to be charged due to their background not fitting the delinquent stereotype.
• According to Cicourel, what factors contributed to middle-class parents being able to negotiate better outcomes for their children?

  They were more educated and could argue effectively on behalf of their child.
• How does Cicourel's findings question the validity of official statistics?


  • Official statistics are based on stereotypes
  • Suggests that it is not the act that is deviant but how it is perceived by those with power
• How does Cicourel support the labeling theory?

  Cicourel's findings show that perceptions of individuals influence their treatment by the justice system.
• What is primary deviance?

  Deviant acts which have not been publicly labelled.
• How does primary deviance affect an individual's identity and status in society?


  It usually has little effect on their identity and status.
• What is an example of primary deviance?

  Engaging in minor acts of rule-breaking.
• What is secondary deviance?


  Being caught and publicly labelled as a criminal.
• What happens to an individual's identity once they are labelled as a criminal?

  It becomes their master status, defining how they are seen.
• How can labelling lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy?


  It reinforces further hostility from society, leading to deviant behavior.
• Who conducted research on the police response to hippie marihuana users in the 1960s?

  Jock Young.
• What was the police's view of hippies in Notting Hill during the 1960s?

  They viewed them negatively for following a deviant lifestyle.
• How did the police crackdown on marihuana use affect the hippies?


  It made marihuana use more important to them as a symbol of defiance.
• What is the relationship between police reaction and the development of a deviant subculture among the hippies?


  The police reaction led to more marihuana use and the formation of a deviant subculture.
• What does the term "deviance amplification" refer to?


  It refers to the increase in deviance due to societal reactions.
• What event did Cohen study in Clacton in 1964?

  Disturbances between two youth groups during the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.
• How did the mass media influence the perception of the disturbances in Clacton?

  It presented a distorted picture, exaggerating violence and youth involvement.
• What was the outcome of the media coverage of the disturbances in Clacton?


  It led to more violence and a police clampdown, resulting in more arrests.
• How did harsher police control affect deviance levels?


  It led to increased levels of deviance due to perceived unjust treatment.
• What are the differences between disintegrative shaming and reintegrative shaming?

  • Disintegrative Shaming: Labels the crime and the criminal as bad, leading to exclusion.
  • Reintegrative Shaming: Labels the act but not the person, allowing for reintegration into society.
• What are the advantages of reintegrative shaming?

  It allows individuals to be reintegrated into society without a negative label.
• What are the disadvantages of disintegrative shaming?


  It excludes the offender from society and reinforces negative labels.