SOC 2760 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Moral Panic, Labeling Theory, Shoplifting

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 2760
• Professor: Reza Barmaki

Document Summary

Creation of deviant identity definitions can change over time. No act is inherently criminal only criminal if people define it as criminal : e. g. Homosexuality and alcoholism in the past prohibition just. No one is inherently bad only bad if people define you as bad ended up causing more crime. Looking-glass self (cooley) conception of ourselves: our conception of what other people think of us defines our. Labeling theory (lemert: people start believing that they are criminals because they are labeled. Jail makes criminal behaviour worse criminal behaviour than suppression of criminals and criminal behaviour: influenced by the chicago school and marxist ideas. Needs to create criminals for system to survive: criminal justice system creates deviant people/criminals rather, cjs labels people as criminals these negative labels stick cause criminals negative stigma - start committing criminal acts. Cjs creates criminals: deviance = normal response to social aggression/exclusion, cjs is a form of social aggression, system is against the poor, minorities, etc.