1. Review of Critical Theory or “Social Reaction” Theory
Labeling Theory (Early 1960s)
Conflict/Radical Theory (Late 1960s)
Feminist Theory (mid 1970s)

2. Labeling Theory Defining “deviance” (the content of law)
Evidence mostly for “fringe crimes” (vagrancy, drugs)
But—WCC vs. “Street Crime”
Application of labels (sanctions)
Who gets sanctioned?
Research on “extra-legal factors”
The effects of labels/sanctions
Effect of “arrest”

3. Revisions of Labeling Theory
Move towards focus on “informal” labeling
Parents, friends, teachers
“Pygmalion effect” (Replication troublesome)
Focus less on “self” and more on blocked opportunities and bonds
Evidence for this, but is this “labeling”???
How we officially sanction may be key
John Braithewaite
Crime, Shame, and Reintegration

4. The effect of sanctions
Deterrence: reduce crime
Labeling: amplify crime
Evidence? Arrest, sanctions seem to have little effect at all
Braithewaite: Maybe it depends on how you sanction

5. Restorative Justice Roots: Policy
Left Realism, or “Peacemaking” criminology
Braithewaite’s notion of “reintegraive” shaming
Policy
Punishment ineffective, must repair harm
Community responsibility
Victim-Offender mediation, sentencing circles…

6. Radical (Marxist) Theory
The law reflects interests of those in power
Some historical support (Opium, Vagrancy), but what about murder, assault…?
Best evidence = WCC vs. street crime
Structural Marxism: Instrumental as too rigid, some laws do benefit the poor…
Application of the law will benefit those in power
Research on “extralegal factors”

7. Softer forms of Radical Theory
Bonger:
Capitalist societies exhibit “egoism”
Pre-capitalist as “altruistic”
Colvin and Pauly
How workers are controlled dictates how they control their children
Harsh/inconsistent/coporal = working class

8. Gender and Crime Feminist movement of the 1970s
Helped spur “victims’ rights” movement
Helped change/create specific laws & punihsments
Domestic violence
Rape (marital and date)

9. Gender and the CJS Chivalry hypothesis vs. Evil woman hypothesis
Gender weak, if any effects on processing
Tentative evidence
Serious crimes women treated more lenient
Minor crimes women treated more harshly
Especially girls, running away truancy…

10. The Generalizability Problem
Patriarchal Society
Most theorists males, most theories focus on male behavior from male perspective
So, can mainstream (male) theory adequately account for female crime?

11. The “Gender Ratio” problem
Males dominate criminal offending
UCR, self report, victimization studies agree
Why?
Use traditional theory
Females have less of the “stuff” causing crime
Other reasons?