1. Write down what you can remember in a spider diagram
Memory jog
Can you remember any sociological ideas about LABELLING theory that you studied in education last year?
Write down what you can remember in a spider diagram

2. Who is most likely to commit crime? and why?
Can you also think about what key sociological word (and process) this refers to?

3. How does labelling theory explain crime and deviance?
Learning Goals
The Big Question…
How does labelling theory explain crime and deviance?
Understand
To describe features of labelling theory of crime.
Apply
To apply labelling theory to real life examples of crime.
Analyse
To compare and contrast labelling theory with functionalist theories of crime and deviance.
Evaluate
To discuss the usefulness of labelling theory as an explanation of crime and deviance today.

4. Labelling theory
Labelling theorists (otherwise known as interactionists) argue that people become to identify with and behave based upon how people label them.
We looked at this last year in terms of education, and how the effect from labelling can effect student performance.
The sociologist we associated with the Labelling theory is BECKER

5. Labelling and Crime
Labelling theorists are interested in how and why certain acts come to be defined or labelled as criminal.
They argue that no act is inherently criminal or deviant in itself- in all situations and at all times.
Instead, it only comes to be so when others label it as such.
It is not the nature of the act that makes it deviant, but the nature of society’s reaction to the act.

6. Becker:
“Social groups create deviance by creating the rules whose infraction (breaking) constitutes deviance, and by applying those rules to particular people and labelling them as outsiders”

7. So...
A deviant is simply someone to whom the label has been successfully applied, and deviant behaviour is simply behaviour that people so label CRIME & DEVIANCE IS A SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION

8. Prioritise
Read the pages on the Social Construction of Crime & Deviance.
Prioritise the most important information into 5 bullet points.

9. SELECTIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT
Becker argues that agents of social control use considerable discretion and selective judgment in deciding whether and how to deal with illegal behavior. Becker suggests that police operate with pre-existing conceptions and stereotypes, which influence how they deal with crime they come across.

10. LABELLING AND SELF FULFILLING PROPHECY
Becker argues that the labelling process and societies reaction to criminals can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy, and thus a ‘deviant career’. Those labelled as a criminal will go on to face rejection from many social groups, and become placed as an ‘outsider’ in society. Many ‘legitimate’ opportunities become limited to them (e.g good jobs) because of their criminal label, and have to resort to crime. They may join other delinquents who they can identify with, who provide them with support and understanding.

11. Ultimately…
Becker argues that societal reaction and the application of deviant labels produce more deviance then they prevent. By labeling someone as a criminal, they are more likely to go on and commit more criminal acts!

12. EVIDENCE FOR LABELLING THEORY – YOUNG (1971)
Young conduced a participant observation study on a group of hippie marijuana users in the late 60’s and how their experience of labelling led to self fulfilling prophecies.
What can you remember about participant observations from last year?

13. The police have a media derived stereotype of hippie drug users, as junkies and layabouts. The marijuana users feel persecuted, as smoking weed is a fairly peripheral activity.
Police action unites marijuana smokers and makes them feel ‘different’ – outsiders.
In self defence, hippies retreat into small closed groups united around marijuana smoking. Deviant norms and values develop.
Defined and treated as outsiders, hippiex express this difference through bizzare clothes and longer hair. Drugs become more central to the users identity, and drug subculture develops.

14. The original police stereotype is created and confirmed
The original police stereotype is created and confirmed. Moral panics over drug taking develop, and the media put pressure on police to ‘solve the drug problem’. The self fulfilling prophecy is confirmed.
Opportunities for normality are reduced because of labelling and police persecution and arrests, and the drug problem is amplified. Publicity gets more drug users involved.
Drug charges may close off opportunities in normal life such as paid employment, possibly leading to a deviant career.

15. Plenary
What are your opinions on this theory? Have you yourself ever been labeled, or witnessed labeling?