Component 3 Section B: interactionist labelling theory (Becker, Lemert, Cicourel, the deviancy amplification spiral) and Marxist and critical criminology, including the selective enforcement of law and the crimes of the powerful.

What this dot point is asking

OCR Component 3 Section B examines two more theory clusters: interactionist labelling theory and Marxist criminology. Labelling theory sees crime as a product of social reaction; Marxism sees it as a product of class power. You need the key thinkers (Becker, Lemert, Cicourel) and the Marxist arguments about selective enforcement and the crimes of the powerful, with evaluation.

The answer

Interactionist labelling theory

Becker argues that moral entrepreneurs campaign to create rules, and that once a person is labelled deviant, the label becomes a master status that overrides their other identities, often triggering a self-fulfilling prophecy in which they live up to it. Lemert distinguishes primary deviance (minor rule-breaking that is not labelled) from secondary deviance (further deviance produced by the reaction to a label). Cicourel shows that justice is negotiated: the police use stereotypes of the "typical delinquent" (often working-class and from minority groups), and middle-class parents can better negotiate to keep their children out of the system. Media reaction can drive a deviancy amplification spiral, where exaggeration produces more control and more deviance.

Marxist and critical criminology

Marxists argue crime is rooted in class inequality and capitalism:

• The law reflects ruling-class interests, protecting private property and the power of the powerful.
• Enforcement is selective: the working class are targeted, while the crimes of the powerful (white-collar and corporate crime, such as unsafe working conditions or fraud) are often ignored or lightly punished.
• The ideological function of law: the occasional prosecution of a powerful figure creates an illusion of fairness, while attention to "street crime" distracts from systemic harms.

Neo-Marxists combine this with labelling, treating crime as a meaningful choice within a context of inequality and emphasising social reaction as well as structural causes.

Examples in context

A top essay weighs the insights of labelling and Marxism (social reaction, the crimes of the powerful) against their limitations (neglecting victims, gender and the reality of crime), applies examples, and judges.

Try this

Q1. Outline two concepts from labelling theory. [4 marks]

• What the marker wants. Two concepts (AO1, two marks each): the master status (Becker), and primary or secondary deviance (Lemert), each briefly explained.

Q2. Outline and explain two Marxist arguments about the law and crime. [10 marks]

• Cue. Two developed points: the law reflects ruling-class interests and protects property, and enforcement is selective so the crimes of the powerful are under-policed, each applied to an example such as corporate crime.