SOC 101 Monday, March 29 Lecture Outline Part 2III. The Symbolic Interactionist Perspective on Deviance and Social ControlPUNISHMENT as a form of social control and regulation of the poorSOC 101 Monday, March 29 Lecture Outline Part 2III. The Symbolic Interactionist Perspective on Deviance and Social ControlC. Labeling Theory People are assigned labels (names and reputations) that become part of their self-concept, which, in turn, channels them toward conforming or deviant behaviorsMost people resist the negative labels other people try to pin on them. In a study of delinquent boys, Sykes and Matza were able to identify five “techniques of neutralization” that people use to resist negative labels and rationalize their deviant behavior. denial of responsibility denial of injury denial of victim condemnation of the condemners appeal to higher loyalty Although most people resist being labeled deviant, some group members revel in it. Mass Incarceration as a Form of Racialized Social ControlPUNISHMENT as a form of social control and regulation of the poorMichelle Alexander’s The New Jim CrowBe sure to read over the chapter excerpt posted on UBLearnsMass incarceration as an extension of systematic social control of minority populations1At the time the War on Drugs was launched, less than 2 percent of the American public viewed drugs as the most important issue facing the nation.“Get tough” legislation, such as mandatory sentencing and the three-strike laws, were targeted primarily at urban, minority, poor populations.The War on Drugs and mass incarceration were directed at minority communities as a form of social control. Alexander writes, “ [A] new racial caste system—mass incarceration—was taking hold….The results were immediate. As law enforcement budgets exploded, so did prison and jail populations. In 1991, the Sentencing Project reported that the number of people behind bars in the United States was unprecedented in world history, and that one fourth of young African American men were now under the control of the criminal justice system.”School-to-Prison PipelineThe policies and practices that are directly and indirectly pushing students out of school and on a pathway to prison.Most school suspensions are for minor misbehavior like “disruptive behavior,” “insubordination” or school fights. Zero tolerance policies in school discipline modeled after criminal justice policies – the War on Drugs.1994 Safe and Gun-Free Schools Act- tied mandatory suspension/expulsion policies to school aidApplied to a range of behaviors - not just weapons’ possessionRacial disparities in who gets suspended: Black students are far more likely to be suspended for minor or subjective infractions than are white students. Long term consequences:2The Carceral ContinuumNeighborhoods ----- Prisons Changing purposes of disciplineFrom rehabilitation to warehousing Prisons no longer function to rehabilitate prisoners but to “keep them off the streets.”This “warehousing of the urban poor” is considered a form of social control andregulation.Collateral Consequences of Criminal ConvictionConviction of a crime carries direct and collateral (indirect) consequencesDirect consequences are penalties such as a fine, probation and commitment to jail orprisonCollateral consequences are disqualifications or deprivations that are civil in natureThe most commonly restricted rights are:Limitations of employment related rights in public and private sector employmentRight to an occupational licenseDenial of welfare rights, including housingDenial of student aid and loansLoss of parental rightsCollateral consequences have:Negative effects upon reintegrationLead to increased risks of recidivism
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