labelling theory

• labelling theory?


  attaching a label to someone or something and they act in accordance with this label until it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy
• crime itself is a product of interactions between the suspects and the police, not the result of blocked opportunities or structure
• labelling theorists ask how and why some people and actions become labelled as criminal or deviant and the effects it has on these people
• they argue no act is inherently criminal or deviant, it becomes criminal or deviant when others label it as such
• howard becker 1963?

  interactionalist sociologist, his book that introduced the topic of labelling theory was called outsiders
• deviance depends upon ?

  time, place, culture, whos witnessing and whos comitting
• a deviant is someone thats been successfully labelled
• studies show agents of social control are more likely to label certain groups as deviant or criminal
• officers decisions to arrest are influenced by stereotypes about offenders, for example the law enforcement shows a class bias, the working class population and their area fits the police 'type', this leads to frequent police patrols in working class areas resulting in more arrests and confirming their stereotypes
• primary deviance ?

  a deviant act that has not been publically labelled, often trivial or uncaught, a norm is broken but it is concealed or tolerated
• secondary deviance ?

  results from labelling where people treat the offenders in term of their label which can then lead to a master status and self fulfilling prophecy
• deviance amplification spiral?

  the process where attempting to control deviance leads to increased deviance, this leads to greater attempts to control it and even more deviance
• deviancy amplification ?

  media distorts amount of crime, leads to public concern, politicians become concerned, politicians and police crack down, some people resent being targeted and will commit more deviance and crime
• examples of deviance amplification ?

  single parent families, hoodie culture, acid and rave culture, gypsies/travellers
• a03 for discrimination?


  very useful, shows law is not a fixed set of rules but a construction that can be explained, it is able to explai how and why law is enforced in discriminatory ways and so can explain why discrimination of certain groups happen
• a03 deterministic ?

  implies once a label is applied a deviant career is inevitable so it ignores free will, implies offenders are passive victims of labelling and ignores that people may choose deviance through free will
• a03 victim status ?

  socially sensitive- emphasis on negative labels create a victim status and implies the offender is the victim instead of the actual victim, negative labels may never give someone a chance to redeem themsleves
• a03?

  not useful for bigger crimes, it is less able to explain things like murder and the reason why it occurred in the first place
• policy?

  studies shown attempts to control and punish young offenders can have the opposite effect, negative labelling pushes offenders towards a deviant career. Therefore, logically to reduce deviance the criminal justice system should have fewer rules for people to break
• reintegrative shaming ?

  labelling the act rather than offender so there is not a widespread perception from the public that they are evil and consequently ostracised from society and pushed into further deviance