Interactionist view of Crime and deviance

Interactionist view of Crime and deviance

1. Background

   • Interactionism suggests people create structure of society through communication and interaction.
     • there is no such thing as a deviant act, only acts that have been labeled deviant.
   • Social construction of the globe is focused on the meanings and attitudes people give to behavior.

2. Labeling Theory

   • Most people commit deviant acts, but only some are caught and intently labeled deviant.
     • Most people claim to have broken the law in the UK but have not been caught.
       • A British survey 2015 found that people commit crime averagely 12 times per year (Bartlett)
     • Labeling theory fails to explain why primary deviance occurs.
   • Labeling occurs when rules are selectively enforced and the response to rule breaking changes depending on the act and who commits it.
     • Becker examined a case study of a pacific Ireland where a youth had publically been accused of incest and treated negatively because of this. However incest was common on the Island as long as it was not publically conducted.
       • Because of this Becker argues that just because a deviant act is commited it doesn't mean it will be labeled as deviant.
       • He also suggests that someone needs to draw attention to the act for it to become deviant.
       • If an individual is successfully labeled then consequences will follow.
     • Labeling has the potential of being based upon attitude and stereotype rather than criminal justice.

3. Primary and Secondary Deviance (Lemert)

   • Primary deviance is the action of rule breaking or deviance.
     • For example, stealing, drug possession.
     • Primary deviance fails to distinguish between levels of serious in criminal acts. For example murder is more serious than vandalism.
   • Secondary deviance is the response to the committed deviant act.
     • For example, attitude of society, law, culture, relatives.

4. Cicoural

   • How enforcers interpret acts.
   • Stereotypes and societal attitudes lead to labeling of the individuals lead to prosecution.
     • For example in a study of juvenile rates, working class rates of enforcement were significantly higher than middle class. This may be because of attitudes law enforcers hold towards the w/class youth.

5. Relative deprivation (Jones)

   • Left realism explains why those suffering from material deprivation commit property related crime.
     • For example if you are experiencing poverty you are more likely to steal.