Describe ways in which labelling can cause crime and deviance (10).
1 One way in which labelling can cause crime and deviance is through the label becoming a
self fulfilling prophecy.
Becker (1966) found that, once an individual is labelled, for example a student being
labelled as unacademic by a teacher, this will negatively affect their self-concept as they
begin to internalise the label. Following this, others become aware of the label and it
becomes the individual’s ‘master status’
Then self fulfilling prophecy
People who have been labelled as deviant cannot be studied to try to reach an explanation
of their deviance - some may be wrongly labelled - Becker is most concerned with ‘the
process by which deviants come to be thought of as outsiders and their reactions to that
judgement’
Deviant career then happens when an individual joins a deviant group or subculture
Link to plummer (1996) - homosexual role
2 Another way in which labelling can cause crime and deviance is through people’s reactions
to the labelled event/group/individual
Malinowski (1966)- incest between cousins in the south pacific islands
Becker concluded that it only became a serious issue once a public claim was made
Primary and secondary deviance - Lemert (1951)
Primary - acts which are not publicly labelled so do not affect self concept
Secondary deviance - when the behaviour is repetitive and highly visible so gets labelled
and affects self-concept
Matza (1964) - ‘subterranean values’ of youth - if they are not labelled, they hide this through
‘techniques of neutralisation’
1 One way in which labelling can cause crime and deviance is through the label becoming a
self fulfilling prophecy.
Becker (1966) found that, once an individual is labelled, for example a student being
labelled as unacademic by a teacher, this will negatively affect their self-concept as they
begin to internalise the label. Following this, others become aware of the label and it
becomes the individual’s ‘master status’
Then self fulfilling prophecy
People who have been labelled as deviant cannot be studied to try to reach an explanation
of their deviance - some may be wrongly labelled - Becker is most concerned with ‘the
process by which deviants come to be thought of as outsiders and their reactions to that
judgement’
Deviant career then happens when an individual joins a deviant group or subculture
Link to plummer (1996) - homosexual role
2 Another way in which labelling can cause crime and deviance is through people’s reactions
to the labelled event/group/individual
Malinowski (1966)- incest between cousins in the south pacific islands
Becker concluded that it only became a serious issue once a public claim was made
Primary and secondary deviance - Lemert (1951)
Primary - acts which are not publicly labelled so do not affect self concept
Secondary deviance - when the behaviour is repetitive and highly visible so gets labelled
and affects self-concept
Matza (1964) - ‘subterranean values’ of youth - if they are not labelled, they hide this through
‘techniques of neutralisation’
