3 effects of labelling - interactionism

• What is master status?

  A person labelled only seen in relation to that one label.

  Label is stuck and secondary deviance begins
• What is a deviant career?

  When a person is labelled opportunities are blocked so develop a life of crime - deviant career
• Self fufilling prophecy develops HOWEVER, becker stresses at any stage they can reject label, but it isnt simple
• Evaluation of deviant career

  Labelling is deterministic as they have no choice but to accept label, with no freedom of choice

  HOWEVER

  Becker makes it clear people can reject career and abandon deviant career BUT it is not that simple
• What is moral panic

  Exaggerated media coverage of those with deviant labels
• What are folk devils

  the group who the media is focusing on, the group who is being targeted for exaggerated reporting.
• What is deviancy amplification?

  a consequence of a moral panic – it is where a group becomes more deviant as a result of media exaggeration of their deviance. It is very similar to the Self Fulfilling Prophecy.
• example of moral panic and deviancy amplification 


  Mods and rockers who werent rival groups first.One bank holiday minor vandalism between the two in brighton lead to the media exaggeration of violence and vandalism.

  generated concern among public police response,increased public fear and seen as threat to social order by policing future mods and rockers more heavily arrest youths from either subculture for deviant behaviour

  consequence of the exaggerated media - mods and rockers came to see themselves as opposed to each other now
• Analysis of moral panic and deviancy amplification

  deviant labels resulting in moral panic and deviancy amplification is relevant in today society

  eg. media to drill claim they are responsible for knife crime - turn to folk devil and scrapegoats for london knife crime

  Police action results in deviancy amplification

  eg.rival gangs watch clips online incites more violence