Primary & Secondary Deviance Lemert Primary & Secondary Deviance

Stuttering Stuttering common amongst Indians only in one tribe and unknown in others. Where oratory performance was highly valued in the community (males had to achieve in this to achieve manhood) parents would react with concern & horror about stuttering. The boys nervousness would be so high it would cause stuttering.

Stuttering Primary Deviance Is the Stuttering But The labelling of the child stutterer was important and caused nervousness and actually led to the stuttering Secondary Deviance

Education Teachers label pupils as ‘good’ or a ‘troublemaker and reward/punish them accordingly. The consequences of labelling (secondary deviance) are more important than the original deviance!

Evaluations Too deterministic Becker & Lemert: so for people who commit crime & are not labelled there are no consequences? Maybe more important is that when they commit these acts and get away with it is more important influence on future behaviour.

Evaluations Taylor, Walton & Young (Marxists) argue that it offers no explanations for the role of POWER and law enforcement. Plumber rejects this saying that all it does is to show the power of MORAL ENTREPRENEURS and the results of their actions

Evaluations Fails to explain why they commit the act in the first place They suggest that we all commit criminal acts yet there is significant research that suggests that there are differences in the probability of different groups committing crime