Social Action Theory & Crime
Published on Nov 18, 2015
AQA A Level Sociology: overview of the links between Social Action perspectives on society and how they view ideas about crime and deviance in society. Suitable for Yr 2 specification coverage of the Crime and Deviance unit.
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PRESENTATION OUTLINE
SOCIAL ACTION THEORY
AKA interactionism or interpretivism: STARTING WITH THE PEOPLE
Social action theory - how does it view society?
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BECKER
OUTSIDERS - 1963
'The deviant is one to whom the label has successfully been applied, deviant behaviour is behaviour that people so label.'
Process:
Label - master label - negative treatment - negative self-image - self-fulfilling prophecy - label accepted - deviant career.
Process:
Label - master label - negative treatment - negative self-image - self-fulfilling prophecy - label accepted - deviant career.
Photo by VinothChandar
YOUNG
'HIPPIE' 1971
Testing the theoretical work of Becker - Notting Hill, London.
Marijuana use = minor/insignificant to group
Negative labelling from police - increase in rejection from mainstream - deviancy amplification.
Marijuana use = minor/insignificant to group
Negative labelling from police - increase in rejection from mainstream - deviancy amplification.
Photo by Bien Stephenson
LEMERT
primary or secondary deviance (1951)
most people are deviant at some point, if labelled as deviant they may end up doing the action more = secondary deviance
Deviancy amplification is where the deviance grows as a response to trying to control it.
Deviancy amplification is where the deviance grows as a response to trying to control it.
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CHAMBLISS
SAINTS AND ROUGHNECKS - 1973
Two groups American boys - 'saints' = middle class; 'roughnecks' = working class 'delinquent'
Same behaviours, but labelled differently.
Saints - out of town due to money and transport, cultural capital - talk way out of trouble. All graduated college, middle class jobs.
Roughnecks - in town, lack of resources, label applied, accepted label. 2 = teachers, 2 = serious offenders, 2 = frequent trouble with police.
Same behaviours, but labelled differently.
Saints - out of town due to money and transport, cultural capital - talk way out of trouble. All graduated college, middle class jobs.
Roughnecks - in town, lack of resources, label applied, accepted label. 2 = teachers, 2 = serious offenders, 2 = frequent trouble with police.
Photo by kevin dooley
CHAMBLISS
RDU - 1994
RDU - Rapid Deployment Unit
Racist police strategies - policed 'black' areas with aggression.
Recorded examples of racist abuse towards black suspects.
Outcome - not all officers racist, but some were.
Racist police strategies - policed 'black' areas with aggression.
Recorded examples of racist abuse towards black suspects.
Outcome - not all officers racist, but some were.
Photo by Anna Tesar
BRAITHWAITE
LABELLING & SHAMING 1989
Building on ideas of master label/deviant career.
Disintegrative shaming leads to feeling of being an outsider - leads to recidivism, joining a subculture. E.g. UK, USA
Reintegrative shaming - disapproval, but not shunned - instead, re absorbed. E.g. Japan crime rates low.
Disintegrative shaming leads to feeling of being an outsider - leads to recidivism, joining a subculture. E.g. UK, USA
Reintegrative shaming - disapproval, but not shunned - instead, re absorbed. E.g. Japan crime rates low.
Photo by Rochelle, just rochelle
CRITICISMS
- Too much focus on criminals
- Too much focus on labelling, rather than reasons to break the law
- Too deterministic
- Marxists - say too much focus on working class
SOCIAL ACTION
DEVIANCE: MENTAL ILLNESS
The mentally ill are STIGMATISED and not viewed in same way as a more clearly physical illness would be.
Medical/psychiatric view vs. labelling view
Goffman - mental illness has a negative label, patients eventually conform
Medical/psychiatric view vs. labelling view
Goffman - mental illness has a negative label, patients eventually conform
Photo by kevin dooley
ROSENHAN 1973
Experiment.
8 researchers admitted selves, all behaviour seems within 'mental illness' label by staff even when behaving 'normally'
Remained for 7-52 days, professionals continued diagnoses 'genuine' patients suspected they weren't ill at all
Separate experiment - staff told pseudo patients would try to gain admittance 41/193 identified as imposters, NONE were.
8 researchers admitted selves, all behaviour seems within 'mental illness' label by staff even when behaving 'normally'
Remained for 7-52 days, professionals continued diagnoses 'genuine' patients suspected they weren't ill at all
Separate experiment - staff told pseudo patients would try to gain admittance 41/193 identified as imposters, NONE were.
Photo by Damian Gadal
CRITICISMS
- Not a social construct
- Labelling approach = naive and dangerous
- Affects more women than men
- Affects minority groups more than whites
- Rosenhan - small sample and not reflective of current practice
