SOCI-321 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Labeling Theory, Bourgeoisie, Proletariat
18 Jun 2018
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SOCI 321 – Chapter 6 – Different Directions in Theory
Labelling Theory
More prominent starting in 50s and 60s
Label someone as something --> Inability to shake off label leads to a career of delinquency
Primary and secondary deviation
Being labelled as a criminal becomes the "master status" that an individual takes on
Ex. 3 strikes rule penalizes people for who they are, not what they've done
oCalifornia spends more money on prisons than they do on schools
Ex. Mandatory minimums
o90% of crime is committed by 30% of people, so the belief is that locking those
offenders up will reduce crime (it doesn't)
oCosts about $10,000 a month for each person in prison
Conflict Theory
Has its roots in Marxian economic theory
Idea that those who have power want to keep that power
Liberal conflict theory
oConflict between interest groups within a society
oEx. The capitalists in conflict with the proletariat
Those who are capitalists don't think in Marxian terms and see their selves as bourgeoisie; they
just see their selves as wanting to make money
Opportunity Theory
Notion that crimes arise when you have a motivated offender, a suitable target, and lack of
controls/a suitable guardian
oMust have all three of these to have a crime
People who are victims tend to have been victimized more than once
oGoes back to routine activities theory
Target hardening
Integrative Theories
Starts from the 80s onward
Putting different theories together for a more comprehensive understanding of criminal
behaviour
Differential reinforcement theory
oTakes social learning theory and builds on that
Developmental criminology
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