AC2.3

• Interactionism


  It is often called labelling theory. It argues that agents of the CJS label people based on their interactions, appearance, background, situation and circumstances of the event.

  
• Piliavin and Briar (1964)


  Police arrest decisions were based on manner, dress, social class, gender, ethnicity, time and place.

  
• Cicourel (1968)


  The police had 'typifications' (common-sense theories) of who is more criminal. This results in police patrolling working class areas more - resulting in more arrests = stereotypes confirmed.

  
• Primary Deviance


  Acts which are not publically labelled. These are widespread and often very trivial, e.g. fare dodging.

  
• Secondary Deviance


  Acts which have been publically labelled. Others may then only see them in terms of that label and it becomes their master status. This may lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy.

  
• What does media exaggeration and identification of a folk devil lead to?


  Moral panic.

  
• What do authorities do to solve moral panic?

  A 'crackdown' to solve the problem. This then leads to more arrests and the 'demonisation' of those involved.

  
• What could 'demonisation' lead to?


  A deviance amplification spiral. This refers to when an attempt to control deviance has the opposite effect and makes it worse.

  
• Cohen's (1972)


  The Mods and the Rockers.

  
• Strength - Laws are not applied...

  ...equally.

  
• Strength - It is useful in highlighting how the media portray...

  ...moral panics and how they can negatively impact people e.g. muslims being subjected to knife crime.

  
• Strength - Labelling can be useful if used correctly...

  ...restorative justice programmes where the act is labelled rather than the person.

  
• Limitation - It is wrong to assume that all labels will result in a self-fulfilling prophecy as...


  ...many people can rehabilitate and overturn the label.

  
• Limitation - It fails to explain why people commit primary deviance in the first place, before they're labelled because...


  ...criminals do not need to have a label to know they're doing wrong.

  
• Limitation - It fails to explain where labels come from and...


  ...why they are only applied to certain groups, e.g. the working-class.

  
• Limitation - The concept of moral panics is often rejected as...


  ...Critics argue that it is now an outdated term and that people are no longer shocked at the behaviour of others as we have become 'desensitised'.

  
• Suggest two limitations of left realism

  - It doesn't explain white collar crime and ignores the harms done to the poor by the crimes of the powerful

  
  

  - It over-predicts the amount of working class crime: not

  everyone who experiences relative deprivation turns to

  crime
• What is the name of the term given to

  when police officers have a

  common-sense theory of who a

  criminal is?

  Typification
• What do right realists say about the

  1950s?

  This was the alleged golden age where the nuclear family was dominant.
• Suggest two strengths of

  interactionism


  - It recognises that laws are not applied equally

  
  

  - Labelling can be useful if used correctly. An example is

  restorative justice programmes where the act is labelled

  rather than the person
• What do right realists say are the

  three causes of crime?

  - Rational Choice

  - Biological Differences

  - Underclass
• Suggest two strengths of Marxism


  - Draws attention to the fact all social classes commit crime

  - Shows that the law is not applied equally
• What does Merton say people are

  socialised to achieve?


  The American Dream
• Suggest two strengths of right

  realism


  - Influenced government policy and helped to tackle crime

  - Accounts for free will unlike social structure
• From a Marxist point of view, what

  are the two main groups in society

  called?

  The bourgeoisie and the proletariat
• What is the difference between

  primary and secondary deviance?

  Primary deviance is an act which has not been publicly labelled, something trivial like fare dodging whereas secondary deviance is an act that has been labelled.
• Suggest two limitations of

  Durkheim's theory?


  - Crime may be functional for some but never for the victims or their families.

  - Crime doesn't always reinforce social solidarity, it can create fear and isolation.
• What do left realists say are the three

  solutions to crime?

  - Improve the relationship between the police and public.

  - Multi-agency working.

  - Tackle inequality.
• What are the three ways that

  capitalism causes crime?


  - Poverty

  - Only way for W/C to obtain material goods (utilitarian)

  - W/C may become frustrated and resort to violence (non-utilitarian)
• Suggest two limitations of Merton's

  strain theory

  - Assumes that we all start off wanting the same goal.

  - Only explains crimes committed by the individuals and fails to explain crimes committed by gangs.
• According to Durkheim, what are the

  four functions of crime?

  - Boundary maintenance

  - Enables social change

  - Acting as a safety valve

  - Acts as a warning device
• Suggest two limitations of Marxism

  - The claim that capitalism causes crime may not always be the case as some capitalist countries have low crime rates e.g. Japan

  - Only examines the relationship between social class and crime and ignore other important variations
• What is the right realist view of the

  criminal justice system?

  We should become tough on crime and economic changes such as poverty or unemployment are behind rising crime rates
• From a Marxist viewpoint, what are

  the three crimes that higher status

  people commit?

  - Corporate crime

  - White collar crime

  - State crime
• According to Merton, what are the

  two pathways in life called?

  Opportunity structures
• Suggest two limitations of

  interactionism

  - Assumes that once you have been labelled it will lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy and master status. not true as people can rehabilitate

  - Fails to explain where labels come from and why they are only applied to certain groups
• What is the Marxist term for when the

  law is not applied in the same way to

  everyone?

  Selective enforcement
• What are the five responses to

  crime?

  - Conform

  - Innovate

  - Ritualism

  - Retreatism

  - Rebellion
• Suggest two strengths of Merton's

  strain theory


  - Explains why W/C people commit crime

  - Explains patterns shown in official crime statistics
• What do right realists say are the

  three solutions to crime?

  - Broken Windows

  - Zero Tolerance

  - Target Hardening