¶ … self-fulfilling prophecy? What role does this play in continued deviance? How does labeling theory influence this prophecy?
Self-fulfilling prophesies are when it is so socially expected that an individual from a particular group (such as a race, ethnicity, or social class) will deviate in his or her behavior from the norm, attributing that label to the individual becomes an important, internalized component of the labeled individual's sense of self. Once this is accomplished, the individual is more resistant to pressures to change, given that letting go of criminality means, in effect, letting go of his identity. "When a negative label gets applied so publicly and so powerfully that it becomes part of that individual's identity, this is what Lemert calls secondary deviance," versus primary deviance when someone who regards him or herself as an upstanding citizen still transgresses the law (Labeling theory, UMN).
"These dramatic negative labelings become turning points in that individual's identity…Having been processed...
Labeling theory suggests that certain subcategories are labeled as intrinsically deviant and are treated by the justice system differently -- for example, a white teenager caught using drugs might be assumed to have a psychological problem and given rehabilitative treatment, versus an African-American from the inner city who is assumed to be a criminal because of his appearance and social class and the labeling of young black males as inherently 'criminal' in many eyes of the dominant, ruling white hegemonic group in America.
Why are some neighborhoods more conducive to crime? How does anomie play a role in the increased crime rates?
Certain neighborhoods appear to be 'hot spots' in terms of crime. This has long been noticeable and given rise to specific 'geographic' theories of crime. According to criminological theorist…
