Labeling, Subcultures & Learning

1. Labeling, Subcultures & Learning Subculture Subcultures provide a lens to interpret the world; they provide context and meaning to social life Major source of values/beliefs Subcultures may support values that encourage or condone deviance Deviance may be seen as conformity to subculture norms

2. Labeling, Subcultures & Learning The Social Learning Approach to Understanding Deviance • Socialization is critical as a deviance-promoting force • People learn (sub-cultural) values/beliefs that are consistent with deviant behavior

3. Labeling, Subcultures & Learning Differential Association Theory (Sutherland 1947 – Chapter 6) • Sutherland argues that deviance is an outcome of socialization. (Contra Durkheim) • Deviance is only possible through learning • Learning crime involves 2 elements: • criminal techniques (the how-to’s of crime) • criminal motivations (the why’s of crime)

4. Labeling, Subcultures & Learning 9 Principles of Differential Association 1) Crime is learned 2) Crime is learned in a process of communication with others (symbolic interactionist idea) 3) Crime is learned in intimate personal settings 4) Learning includes the techniques (sometimes simple, sometimes complicated) & the motives, rationalizations, drives to commit crime 5) The specific direction of motives is learned from perceptions of aspects of the legal code as being favorable or unfavorable 6) Persons become criminal when they perceive more favorable than unfavorable consequences to law violation

5. Labeling, Subcultures & Learning “Scope Conditions” or caveats of Diff. Assoc. 7) DA may vary in frequency, duration, priority, and intensity 8) Learning criminal behavior is like any other learning 9) Criminal and non-criminal behavior are expressions of the same needs, values, and thus crime cannot be explained by needs and values

6. Labeling, Subcultures & Learning How is this related to Labeling, Stigma and Identity? Among the key outcomes of the labeling process is? OSTRACISM Ostracism encourages the development of subcultures dedicated to coping with the stigma of a deviant label. Differential Association provides us with a better understanding of how people cope with labeling. For example, by becoming integrated into deviant subcultures that are consistent with, even supportive of, the deviant label.

7. Harris, Anthony R.  1976.  "Race, Commitment to Deviance, and Spoiled identity."  Amer. Soc. Review.  41:432-443.  *=statistically significant; N.S.=not statistically significant Also note that surveys have consistently shown that Af-Am have higher self-esteem scores in the U.S. general population.

8. Do all groups experience stigma similarly? • Harris analysis shows that the answer is No. • Why? • General exclusionary processes & stigma redundancy