CRM 1300 Study Guide - Social Stigma, O. J. Simpson, Environmental Crime
Document Summary
A crime is any intentional act or omission in violation of the criminal law, committed without defense or justification and sanctioned by the state. How do you know what"s legal what"s not. Some people believe the crime is justified. A key aspect of the symbolic interactionist perspective of deviance is labeling theory. First proposed by sociologist howard becker in the 1960s, labeling theory posits that deviance is that which is so labeled. No status or behavior is inherently deviant until other people have judged it and labeled it deviant. In other words, not the quality of the act but the label that others attach to the act. Example: some parents absolutely prohibit physical punishment of children, such as spanking, while other parents regularly use physical punishment to enforce household rules. The answer depends on what is considered acceptable behavior within that given household, or within the greater society in which the family lives.
