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Interpretivists and labelling

• Becker- did a theory on labelling as an explanation for crime and deviance. they studied how an act or behaviour can be labelled as deviant. She argued that the behaviour or act is simply viewed in different ways depending on the situation it is done in, and how it is viewed decides if it is deviant or not. For example nudity in our own homes is acceptable but getting naked in public is seen as deviant or even criminal. So and act itself was not actually deviant.
• John Young - another sociologist also did a study on how behaviour could be labelled as deviant. He used the example of young drug takers. 1. the weed smokers developed a deviant self concept because their drug of choice was illegal. The deviant element became their main identity in society. This was the label society gave them and police gave them and so their drug taking increased.

defining crime and deviance:

• crime: is behaviour which breaks the laws and punishment is given by the legal system.
• deviance:deviance is behaviour which goes against the norms, values and expectations of a social group or society.
• Acts which can be seen as deviant or non-deviant depending on the situation:
• 1.swearing at an authority figure (deviant) if they're on tv then this is (non-deviant).
• 2.being naked in public (deviant) being naked in bed (non-deviant).
• 3.killing someone in society (deviant) if your a solider and you are killing the enemy (non-deviant).
• the difference between non-sociological theories and sociological theories:
• non-sociological theories think the cause of crime lies within the individual (functionalism). the sociological theories think it lies within society (e.g. marxism).

functionalism:

• durkhiem

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