Crime and Deviance: Interactionism

Interactionism

George Herbert Mead: Believed that each individual interacts with others through symbols. However, each symbol can mean something different to each individual as well as being dependant on the time and context of the situation. Mead argues that individuals do not act based on instinct, but based on the social audience instead. 

Goffman: 'Dramaturgical approach'. He argues that life is like a theatrical performace in which people are the social actors who are moving between being upstage and backstage. He argues that when people are backstage with no social audience then they are their true selves but once upstage with a social audience they become their social selves. People are completely manipulated by the social audience. 

Howard Becker: Argues that there is no such thing as a deviant act. It is the response from the social audience that determines whether or not it is deviant. Examples of this are the death penalty, homosexuality and underage drinking.
Becker analysed Malinowkski's study of the Trobriand Islands on the act of incest. He found that it was viewed as a deviant act but that everyone did it in secret. One couple were discovered to have done this, this caused a mass reaction in which the male was labelled incestuous and exiled by the tribe, resulting in his suicide. The act of incest was not a problem but the reaction to it was. 

In order for something to be deviant:

1. Someone must perform an act. 
2. It must be labelled as deviant by the social audience.

Societal responses to changes in the law:

1. Someone performs an act.
2. It is labelled as deviant by the social audience. 
3. The social audience put pressure on the Government to change the law.
4. The Government change the law. 
5. The police crackdown on the deviant act.
6. Crime statistics illustrate the sharp rise in deviant acts. 
7. Those who perform the deviant act are labelled as criminals. 
8. There is a change in the self concept. 

Edwin Lamert: Argues that there are two types of deviance:

1. Primary deviance - Acts that everyone knows are wrong but results in little or no response from the social audience. (Mars).
2. Secondary deviance - Acts that draw a significant response from the social audience. The offender then gets marginalised and it has an impact on their self concept. (Marital rape/RvR).

Leslie Wilkins: 'Deviance amplification'. People being labelled as criminal will become worse therefore making something criminal will increase deviance. 

Cohen and Young: 'News values'. The news is manufactured and is only reported if it meets a certain criteris. This criteria is:

1. Dramatisation - Exciting. 
2. Personalisation - Human interest. 
3. Immediacy - Just happened.
4. Higher status - Celebrity. 
5. Simplification.
6. Novelty.
7. Risk - Create a sense of fear. 
8. Violence - Shock factor. 

Stan Cohen: 'Folk devils and moral panic'.

1. Exaggeration and Distortion - The media exaggerate a situation, a small fight can become gang warfare. 
2. Prediction - They made predictions about future conflicts, therefore making fights happen. 
3. Symbolisation - Everything that the people involved stood from becomes deviant. 

Ben-Yehuda: Argues that moral panics have five key characteristics:

1. Concern - The social group involved are seen as a threat. 
2. Hostility - Labelled as 'folk devils'.
3. Consensus - Moral entrepreneurs stir up a public reaction. 
4. Disproportionality - Events are overexaggerated.
5. Volatility - They don't last long but are intense.

Wall: Technology has created cyber crime. He argues that there are four types:

1. Cyber-trespass - Hacking/Spreading viruses.
2. Cyber-deception - Theft of identity/property.
3. Cyber-pornography - Allowing access to children.
4. Cyber-violence - Bullying. 

Aaron Cicourel: Agrees with Becker that justice is not fixed, it is negotiated. He argues that the CJS have 'typifications' (stereotypes). The act is not important, who committed the crime is important. If the offender was an African Caribbean male they would receive a harsh punishment, but if it was a white middle class amale they would be deemed out of character and given a leniant punishment. 

Stuart Hall: Argues that in the 1970's African Caribbeans were given a criminal label by the media, this segregates the working class and makes them fight amongst themselves. 

Functionalists: Durkheim would argue that crime is functional and that the CJS is good and equal. 

Marxists: Would argue that the Bourgeoisie is not a social audience and that crime is criminogenic. 

Right Realists: Would blame the individual. (Murray/Farrington and West).