Labeling Theories and the Meaning of Crime

Meaning of crime to the self: Lemert’s general theory of deviance Symbolic interactionism Our self-image – how we think of ourselves – is shaped by interacting socially, with others Labeling theory We think of ourselves as others define us As children age and becoming increasingly adventurous, their labels may go from “just being a kid,” to “a good kid acting badly”, to, perhaps, “a bad kid” Lemert- general theory of deviance Criminal behavior starts due to other factors (biological, sociological, etc.) Outsiders may label someone as “delinquent” and attach its social meanings Those who continue behaving poorly adopt the self-image of a delinquent This “redefinition of self” persists independently of the behavior’s original causes Many who commit crime don’t consider themselves “criminals” Maintaining a non-criminal self-image is important Justifications and neutralizers used to excuse conduct “Just borrowing the money” “They can afford it” “They had it coming” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLenIWRxSeQ 2 mis.

Meaning of crime to oneself; labeling process To make labels stick society applies threats and sanctions Criminal law is the ultimate threat to one’s identity Criminal processing is a “degradation ceremony” Sticky labels – such as convictions and imprisonment – can make it difficult for those so labeled to reform Justifications no longer work, so persons may redefine themselves as being criminals Violators may be ostracized from conventional society Cannot obtain legitimate employment Turn to deviance to satisfy social and material needs

Katz – What crime “means” to criminals Katz – “Seductions of Crime” Crime can’t be explained by “background” variables (race, class, etc.) Crime best explained by examining “foreground” variables: What does it feel like to commit a crime? What are criminals trying to accomplish? Crime motivated by the need to transcend “moral challenges” Passion killers: escape humiliating situation Delinquents: demonstrate personal competence Gang members: response to “humbling” by conventional society Crime reinforced by the “thrill” of its commission “Lived meanings” of organized and white collar crime Satisfaction of “getting it over” on “marks” Joys of thumbing one’s nose at conventional society http://youtu.be/Ur3nMiP-XV0 8 mis.

Zimbardo: Why good people turn evil Evil means to intentionally harm or degrade others “Following orders” not an excuse Moral imperatives to “defend the homeland” give acts legitimacy Stereotyping and dehumanizing others removes them from actor’s “moral sphere” Heavy situational pressures on people’s behavior blurs line between criminals and non-criminals In 2010 the Feds convicted former Chicago police commander Jon Burge, 62, of perjury for falsely denying in an earlier civil suit that in the 1980s he and his officers extracted confessions through beatings, electric shocks and suffocation. One of the wrongfully convicted, Michael Tillman, was freed in January 2010 after spending 23 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. Police Issues Individual traits (differences between people) might make little difference Still, some persons, even if pressured to act badly, do resist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhq_m3OPxgk 3 mis.

Another point of view: Meaning of crime to society Societies “create” crime by passing laws Campaigns against crime are in everyone’s name, but may only benefit select groups Provide economic benefits Law against vagrancy used to create pool of cheap labor Defining drug users as criminals creates a demand for police, prosecutors, etc. Provide a symbolic benefit Temperance movement reasserted Protestant values Groups must gain power to define who’s deviant “Controlology” Criminal justice a mechanism used by State to control “problem” populations Others include education, mental health, mass media Purpose is more than just control -- it’s “to manifest state power” Over time rationale has shifted from crude to sophisticated Public executions  rehabilitation Iron fist remains hidden in the “velvet glove” Much in common with Marxist and critical criminology https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxNzDWJW_6M 3 ½ mis.

Arguments against the usefulness of labeling theory Labeling theorists overemphasize its explanatory power Labeling does not automatically lead to deviancy Some deviants may actually seek out the label If law-abiding persons are law-abiding because they want to avoid being labeled… Reducing a label’s stigma may INCREASE criminal behavior Juveniles may not be highly affected by what society or the authorities think of them More affected by what their parents and friends think of them If society labels them as “rule violators” they may choose to live up to these expectations