Sociology 2267A/B Chapter Notes - Chapter 6: Juvenile Delinquency, Critical Criminology, Labeling Theory
30 Apr 2018
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Chapter 6- Different Directions in Theorizing About Youth Crime and Delinquency:
Introduction:
• Prior 1960s most explans crime and delinquency positivistic in orientation and attempted
explain why an individ would behave in crim/ del manner
• Late 1950s and early 1960s= labelling theory, moved thinking away from positivistic
approach by asking qs about crime rather than person
• Critical perspective on crime- refers group w assumption structures power and oppression
are source of crime (ie race, class, gender and some extent, age structures in soc)
o Power relations and social control, less concerned stat testing theories and relies
less official data for analyses
Labelling theory:
Play and delinquency:
• Tannenbaum (1938)- children engage in del behav w/o knowing others view as del/ bad
• Best adult response del behav do nothing- conflict develops b/w child’s play group and
comm turns play into del/ crim behav
• Begin resent adult interference and start act defiant manner, adults def them as bad=
isolate from comm and other children- isolated state accept selves dif and encouraged
engage more del behav
Secondary deviance:
• Lemert (1951)= primary and secondary deviance
• Primary deviance- initial act= anyone pot if does thing likely considered deviant if known
others
• Secondary deviance- refers all behavs person dev as result societal responses primary
deviance= may begin dev self-concept deviant and act accordingly
• Official responses to juvenile delinquency more likely increase delinquent behav than to
prevent from occurring again
Societal response:
• Becker (1963)- acts not deviant until def so- deviance not inherent act, rather created by
responses to act ex: killing in war and capital punishment not considered murder/ wrong
• Process whereby people become delinquent- begins w attaching label to person in
response behav then gets gen everything does
• Deviance= master status- always seen and responded to as deviant no matter what
qualities are
• Retrospective interpretation- once deviance discovered, reinterp past actions light new
info
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• Early 1970s, labelling theory infl social policy- “least poss interference” prevailing
philosophy as decarceration (practice moving individs from institutional settings into
comm facilities and progs) policies implemented
• People released psychiatric hospitals and left fend for themselves- halfway houses and
group homes opened get adult and juvenile off out of institutions (least poss interference
big part YOA)
• Past 25 years= reintegrative shaming- public shaming person’s behav, followed by comm
forgiveness and attempts bringing persons back into comm decrease likelihood future
criminality
Critical criminology and conflict theory:
• Critical crim focuses on inequality and oppression as sources crim activity and issues in
CJS- ask qs social injustice rather than crim justice and views structs class, racism,
sexism and other “isms” as criminogenic
• Contrast theories assume social order based social consensus, conflict theories begin w
assumption conflict natural state affairs in soc and that order poss only b/c one group has
power impose its views, interests, values/ cult on another
• Focus laws, law-making, admin of law and impact law various groups people, most often
marginalized
Liberal conflict theory:
• Thorsten Stellin (1938) ref rules governing cult group as conduct norms- each cult has
own set conduct norms, heterogeneous societies, which have more than one culture, will
have more group conflict than homogeneous/ single-cult, societies
• Dom cult group heterogeneous comm group w most power and resources- when
normative behav one group violates norm behav group has power and resources to codify
conduct norms into law, result criminalization weaker group ex: black/ street youth
criminalized through media coverage crime issues and all individs perceived crim
suspects
• Turk (1969)- value conflicts perceived threatening those in auth lead less powerful
groups being ident as crim/ delinquent
Radical conflict theory:
• Capitalism root cause crime= 2 major classes: bourgeoise, control means of production
and proletariat, sell their labour to bourgeoise= conflict inherent b/w 2 major classes and
CJS one means bourgeoise use control proletariat
• Greenberg (1977)- young people greater risk being involved in crim activities b/c age
struct capitalist soc forces them into economic dependency- part at risk working-class
youth excluded from all but most degrading and low-paying jobs= part likely commit
property crime
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• Herman and Julia Schwendinger (1979)- del created drive for profit on which capitalism
depends= youth more likely older workers displaced new tech/ machinery b/c least
skilled/ experienced
• Once out of labour force, young people become increasingly dependent on school and
fam= prototypic marginals- not supp fams/ unable adapt school life part risk del behav
• Critical criminology- critical perspectives grew out of rejection positivism’s focus
individs and movement toward asking qs about crime and its defs, as well as law and
creation and imposition
• Focus structs and relations power and dom in soc and perhaps partially inspired
widespread political unrest and gen social critique 1960s and 1970s
• Doesn’t assume either free will/ determinism, but combo both- freely choose create and
reinforce institutional structs eventually control and dom them
• Tends take position everything we do, even science, value-laden- best can do be open and
forthright about value systems and beliefs
Opportunity theory:
• Looks at crime as an event connected to sit factors- rather than asking why a person
committed a crime, q becomes why a particular crim event happened
• Routine activities theory- event involving convergence motivated off, suitable target/
targets and absence controls= based assumption people operate basis free will and make
rational choices about engaging in crim activity
• Not explan for crime, but, rather dif explan may be required dif types crimes- leads
recognition equally/ more important understand why person stops involve crim activity as
it is to know why began
• Provides rationale those advocate stiffer penalties means deterring crim activity
Routine activities theory:
• Cohen and Felson (1979) began based observation increase crime rates following WWII,
contrary expectations times prosperity should reduce crim= changes routine activities
brought about by struct changes- more time out home= more chance crim activity and vul
targets
• Convergence 3 components required crim event: motivated offenders, suitable targets and
absence capable guardian
• Ideal targets those offering high payoff w little effort/ risk legal consequences
Rational choice theory:
• Off rationally assess all info about pot crime and make rational choice based on ass
consequences
• Crim involvement- decision initially engage in crime, to cont/ desist (more complex)
• Crim event- decisions tied more specifically part sits and/or circs
Integrative theory:
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Document Summary
Chapter 6- different directions in theorizing about youth crime and delinquency: Critical criminology and conflict theory: critical crim focuses on inequality and oppression as sources crim activity and issues in. Radical conflict theory: capitalism root cause crime= 2 major classes: bourgeoise, control means of production and proletariat, sell their labour to bourgeoise= conflict inherent b/w 2 major classes and. Ideal targets those offering high payoff w little effort/ risk legal consequences. Integrated theory: anomie, combined w social disorg and inadequate socialization, sets stage for weak bonds w institutions= lead stronger bonds and greater associations w del groups within which learning del behav enhanced. Interactional theory: social class, race and comm and neighborhood characteristics affect social bond and social learning variables, weakened bonds key del behav, bonds themselves not enough produce/ prevent del- del learned and reinforced. The feminist perspective and critique: early crim theorists tended ignore behav w and girls.
