To what extent does labelling theory offer a useful contribution to the study of crime and deviance? In this essay I’m going to investigate the Theory of Labelling also known as the Social Reaction Theory. Hopefully my essay will fulfil the criteria of the above title‚ an allow me to answer the question accurately and concisely. Why does crime exist? What drives individuals with in a populous to commit crime? Can crime ever be controlled or eradicated? By focusing on the Labelling
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Psychology The definition of "psychological disorder" is as follows: A psychological dysfunction within an individual that is associated with distress or impairment in functioning and a response that is not typical or culturally expected. There are three main components to this definition. They can be designated as a) psychological dysfunction‚ b) distress or impairment and c) atypical response. Psychological dysfunction is when you fail to function as would be considered normal‚ whether cognitively
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assess the usefulness of labelling theory in explaining crime and deviance. Focusing on interactionist approaches such as Becker (1963); labelling theory suggests that deviancy is a social process usually related to power differences but it doesn’t explain the causes of crime. It does however explain why some people or actions are described as deviant‚ and can help in understanding crime and deviance. Becker argues deviance is a behaviour which has been labelled deviant by the reaction of others
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Examine sociological theories that explain the ethnic dimension to crime and deviance (21 marks) Recent statistics show that black people are five times more likely to be in prison than whites. Ethnic groups are heavily over represented in prisons. Waddington et al investigated whether ethnic groups were targeted by the police and whether they were treated unfairly. Waddington et al concluded that these ethnic minorities were stopped and searched more because they were out on the street at the
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Deviance is a behavior that does not conform to social norms‚ therefore is socially created. Since most people in the United States believe that homosexuality is wrong‚ society has created homosexuality to be a deviance. Since deviance is relative and not absolute to a society‚ homosexuality is not a universal form of sexual deviance. There are many cultures that accept forms of homosexuality. The Western society is not accepting of it though‚ and many times this non-accepting view cause discrimination
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that crime and deviance are the products of the labelling process (21 marks) The labelling theory is a micro interactionist approach‚ this is because it focuses on how individuals construct the social world through face-face interactions. It recognises the concept of the ‘procedural self’ where ones identity is continuously constructed and recognised in interaction with significant others‚ this results in the individual’s behaviour‚ including that related to crime and deviance. Significant
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reaction to the strains that he encountered both as an adolescent and an adult‚ or rather a deviant and a non-deviant. In this essay I will use General Strain Theory of deviance to illustrate and attempt to explain an individual’s motive for engaging in criminal behavior such as drug dealing. Strain theories have been used to explain deviance since sociologist Robert Merton first
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theories in explaining ‘subcultural crime and deviance’ in society today. There are many different institutions in societies around the world. The main dominate cultures around society will share the same theories of society of what is acceptable when in comes to the norms and values of crime and deviant behaviour. Subcultural groups however differ from the main cultures of society and have a different view of the norms and values of crime and deviance. It could either be a small group in the society
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When studying crime and deviance‚ in particular the causes of crime‚ it is often useful to look at the reasons behind why people commit crimes in the first place. For interactionists‚ crime and deviance is a product of labelling. They believe that when a crime is committed‚ it is because a public application of a negative description of a powerless individual has occurred and that is the reason why a crime has been committed by that individual. Labelling is deterministic of your future life. Interactionists
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The right realist perspective on crime is mainly associated with the American sociologist W.J Wilson. This perspective became very influential on home office policy-making during the conservatives period in office. The right realist approach assumes that human beings are naturally selfish‚ individualistic and greedy. Therefore ther are ’naturally inclined’ to further their interest‚ even if this means comitting crime. They also believe the origins of crime are misunderstood‚ that is policies aimed
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