Interactionalists became influential as sociologists in the 1970s when many sociologists began rejecting functionalism

Interactionalists rejeter the idea that criminals were bad, or heroes of a working class revolution

Interactionalists pointed out that many actions are not criminal, but the circumstances in which they take place makes them criminal

They argue that there is no such thing as deviant until an action is labelled. it is a social contact which created deviance

They believe an act must be witnessed and labelled to be called a crime or deviant

Goffman argued that social labels affect how we see people, it may be for reasons such as mental illness, that label may influence how others react to them

The non-stigmatised will treat those with a social label as different, they distance themselves from the stigmatised as they view them as 'not like me'

This may result in hate crimes

Those who have been labelled will have to develop strategies to cope with the negative social reactions. for example, people with mental health issues may joke about their illness to warn people

Strengths:

It recognises the role of social dynamics and power relations in shaping individuals likelihood of engaging in criminal behaviour

This perspective helps explain why some individuals may be more likely to engage in criminal behaviour as a means of achieving their goals and status within a social group

Weaknesses:

It may not always accurately explain why some individuals with significant social and cultural advantages do not engage in criminal behaviour, while others with minimal advantages do

The theory doesn't consider influences such as behaviour, upbringing and culture

Lemert created two categories of deviant- primary and secondary

Primary- the action or experience of deviance, drug misuse

Secondary- the role that the deviant creates for themselves which is a response to be labelled as deviant

He argues that criminal behaviour is often a symptom is deeper social and personal issues, poverty, discrimination, trauma, mental health

Examples of primary- skipping school, vandalism
may be considered normal in certain groups and may not result in negative concequences

Examples of secondary- robbery, assault, other crimes
secondary deviance is more serious actions that leads to negative concequences

Strengths:

It recognises the role of social and personal factors shaping individuals likelihood of engaging in criminal behaviour

The perspective helps to explain why some individuals may be more likely to engage in criminal behaviour as a result of the challenges they face

Weaknesses:

His theory doesn't consider influences such as personality, upbringing and cultural values

Becker did a study in 1963 based on marijuana smokers

He claimed that people may commit acts that define them as deviant

They then gain a social label as being deviant, such as a cannabis smoker

The social label becomes seen as a defining characteristic of a person, known as the master status

If other people recognise their master status, then everything that person does will be seen as the result of that master status

Becker identified a process by which people become confirmed in a deviant career and accept a negative social status

Weaknesses:

Beckers view may over simplify the complex and varied factors that influence individuals likelihood of engaging in criminal beaviour

It may downplay the role of individual agent and personal choice in these behaviours

Strengths:

Beckers theory recognises the role of social and cultural definitions and labelling in shaping individuals likelihood of engaging in criminal behaviour

The labelling process involves 4 stages: the initial deviant act, the reaction of others to the act, the individuals response to this reaction, and the consequences of this response

Wilkins identified a larger social process that individual interactions

Wilkins suggested that the role of the media actually created crime, an idea that was further developed by Stanley Cohen in his study in moral panic

Strengths:

Interactionalists regonise that the process of becoming criminal is interactive

A person does not simply break the law, a whole range of social events take place to make a person criminal

Lea and Young point out that by focusing on labelling, interactionalists overlook the point that a lot of crime is committed by people from certain social groups, like the young or working class

Interactionalism does not explain the beginnings of the first criminal act. before smoking drugs for example, a person must make an active choice to break the law

The labelling theory does not explain this

Young people who are labelled as delinquent tend to go on to commit further crime, this is not clear evidence that their further delinquency was caused by a label

Interactionalism does not explain fully why certain people are more likely to be labelled than others

Marxists criticise interactionalis because it overlooks the significance of social structure in the origins in crime

It does not consider the importance of wo has the power to label people as deviant