Dissecting Criminal Labelling Theory Howard

Dissecting Criminal

Labelling theory

Howard Becker's pioneering study on labelling shows how the reaction of other people can give rise to a "deviant" label. Early labels such as "whore" or "thief" serve to segregate a person from society, labelling them as outcasts. By being labelled as deviants, many people learn to act in deviant ways.

For Brenda, falling in with the "wrong crowd" could have led to being labelled as a failure, a juvenile delinquent. Because of these labels, educators were more likely to react negatively to her "attitude." The self-fulfilling prophecy of such labels could also be seen in how Brenda got pregnant prior to graduating from high school.

Marxist theory

Orthodox Marxists believe that capitalism, by its inherent social inequities, promotes many types of crime. In an economic depression, for example, people who lose their jobs might be tempted to steal in order to provide for their families. As long as a social class of people -- the proletariat -- do not have the same access to power as the bourgeosie class, this social inequity will continue to exist. Such inequity, according to orthodox Marxists, will drive desperate people to crime.

For Brenda, an orthodox Marxist would look at two aspects. First, there is her early childhood. Despite the fact that her proletariat parents worked long hours in the local factory, they did not make enough to support their family. Later, Brenda had difficulty making ends meet on her minimum wage job. This is a contradiction, since the idea of a minimum wage job is that it provides enough to support one's basic needs. However, Brenda could not find a job that would provide enough to pay for childcare.

Conflict theory

Conflict theorists also point out that many rules designating deviant behavior were created to protect the needs and sensibilities of the status quo. Thus, even "victimless" deviant activities are regulated through various methods of formal and informal control. The deviancy ascribed to Brenda's teen pregnancy, for example, stems largely from the way she challenges the norms regarding sexual behavior. Conflict theorists believe that laws and norms do not reflect values of society as a whole, but only of the dominant segment.

Similarly, it could be said that Brenda's drug habit is a victimless crime. If she pursues reasonable precautions, such as avoiding driving and staying in a private place, her drug use does not differ much from smoking or alcohol consumption. However, since drug use is frowned upon by the social elite, Brenda is seen as a criminal.

Feminist theory

Similar to conflict and Marxist theories, feminist theorists see much social inequity in society.

This social inequity is one that divides the sexes. Early on in Brenda's life, the loss of job of her father meant that the family had to make do with the mother's wages. Although they both worked in the same factory, it is far more likely that her mother earned less - a probably reason why it was the father who was let go.