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  • Essay / The Relevance of Deviance and Labeling Theory in the 21st Century

    In this essay, I will discuss the relevance and usefulness of ideas generated during the 1950s and 1960s by theorists and researchers of deviance and labeling, and how they still make sense in the 21st century. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"? Get an original essay On deviance, ideas generated during the 1950s and 1960s show that there are subcultures within deviance which can be divided into three categories, as stated by Steve Case, these start with the first in which he says "relies on justification from "purely criminal values", and is therefore based on the search for rewards material by illegitimate means.” He then adds that the second category β€œis populated by people whose status is acquired through the exercise of force and the perpetration of domination by violent means.” And the third category mentioned in Steve's case is then "represented by alienation and withdrawal from conventional roles, which may be evident in drug cultures." This is relevant for the 21st century as deviance still plays a huge role in criminology. They appear in the dominant norm, behavioral expectations and values. However, as Merton pointed out in 1957, "the denial of regular opportunities or status and the attraction of alternative paths to some sort of social status apparently combine to provide pathways to criminality, and even a rebellious identity." alternative for young people if they choose to follow this path. course". This means that it is still relevant in the 21st century even if it is 50-60 years old, because many of those who follow deviance are young people and if they belong to a certain social status, this can mean they will get into crime. Another reason why deviance is still relevant in the 21st century is that depending on how someone is raised or if a young person is subjected to conformity. structure the life of this young person With the theory of labeling, it has two - In this complex process, in which the initial commission of an offense, which would be a primary deviance, would then be aggravated by the experience of being. treated and then formally identified as an offender, this would then lead to secondary deviance Using research by McAra and McVie in 2007, they drew on the findings of the 'Edinburgh Study of Transitions and Youth Crime. Their analysis shows that the criminalization of young people would depend to a large extent on selective police responses, in which "disadvantaged boys and children" would be discriminated against the police, in terms of initial decision whether or not to lay charges. The reason this is relevant in the 21st century is because younger men are classified as the "usual suspects" of crime. This means they are more likely to be labeled as criminals and become deviant within society. In 1951, Edwin Lemert proposed that there are two types of deviance, which he called "primary and secondary deviance". It indicates that the main type is temporary and would often be "secret". This would not result in any long-term harm to the offender, either because the act does not "provoke a social reaction", but if it does, the reaction is not very strong or even stigmatizing. In the case of secondary deviance, this has more profound long-term consequences, in which the offender's act is then caused by the way they have come to think about themselves..