Symbolic Interactionist Theories on Deviance
This slideshow focuses on two of the symbolic interactionist theories behind why people engage in deviant acts:
- Differential Association Theory
- Labeling Theory
Remember that under Symbolic Interactionism, interaction among people is the essential piece to creating symbols and meanings.
Symbolic Interactionists who study crime and deviance have a few core theoretical approaches that they use. In each of these approaches, interaction with people around you are where deviant behavior is influenced.
Differential Association Theory states that people have a greater tendency to deviate from societal norms when they frequently associate with individuals who are more favorable toward deviance than conformity.
This theory is pretty simple, if your environment is full of people who commit deviant behavior, you're more likely to engage in deviant behavior. If it is common in your social circle, you're less likely to see deviant behavior as a negative.
Of course, the criticism of the differential association theory is that it does not do a good job of explaining why some individuals who are born into a family of deviants or who surround themselves with deviants actually do not engage in deviant behavior themselves.
Labeling Theory claims that the labels people are given affect their perceptions and channel their behaviors into deviance or conformity.
Based on the symbolic interaction theory of Charles Cooley and George H. Mead, labeling theory focuses on a variety of symbolic labels that people are given in their interactions with others.
The act of fixing a person with a negative identity, such as "criminal" or "stupid," is directly related to the power and status of those persons who do the labeling and those who are being labeled.
In other words, if a teacher constantly tells a student that he or she is "stupid" or "bad," the student will internalize this label and over time, he or she will consider it truth.
According to this theory, the child will ultimately believe the label and will begin to act like the label.
Sociologist Edward Lemert studied deviant identity formation and labeling theory. In his research, he expanded labeling theory by identifying two stages of the labeling process:
- Primary deviance is when an individual violates a norm and becomes identified by others as being deviant while maintaining a self-definition of being a conformist.
- Secondary deviance is when the individual internalizes the deviant identity others have placed upon him/her.
One example of primary and secondary deviance can be found in the 1991 film Boyz n the Hood:
Cuba Gooding Jr.'s character (Tre) is faced with tremendous pressure when his best friend is gunned down by gang members and he has a profound urge to retaliate. Tre is deeply supported by his father who helps him reject both the opportunity to retaliate, overcome the label of "street thug," and to remember his own potential. Tre facing the label as a "street thug" is the primary deviance. However, he did not accept the label and overcame it. Had he accepted the label, it would be an example of secondary deviance.
Master status is a social position that is so intense it becomes the primary characteristic of the individual (ex-con, gang member, etc.).
Understanding how powerful a master status is as a labeling influence helps to understand why so many criminals reoffend and end up incarcerated again.
Recidivism is being arrested after having served a sentence for another crime.
Ultimately, because some stigmas that are associated with certain statuses (convicted felon, sex offender, etc.) are so negative, many criminals feel that they have nothing left to lose and likely commit the same offenses again.
