SOC 1500 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Labeling Theory, Marxism, Ruling Class
11 Dec 2016
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Document Summary
Context started in the late 1950s in the us. During the 1960s there were times of civil unrest and people were becoming more aware of social inequality. Basic argument is that it is not the act itself but the contextual meaning behind the act and whether it is deviant or criminal. In 1 context it is considered deviant or criminal but in another it is not. 3 questions: who: who is getting labelled as deviant as criminal. Formal labelling: done by agents of social control; police, teachers, courts, etc. Defined vs. definers: those who are being defined as deviant or criminal tend to have less social power compared to those who get to define them. More powerful can force the less powerful to do their bidding; get to define what is criminal or deviant. About the ways in which certain behaviours are vilified.
