2 - A Brief background to the Interactionist Perspective

3 - More recent developments in the Interactionist Perspective

4 - Using the Interactionist Perspective to explain social phenomena

Deviant behaviour has sadly been a ongoing occurrence in society throughout history, more noticeably in life today. Sociologists have been provoked to study and form theories in order to try and explain why social phenomena such as suicide, prostitution and drug use occur in our society. The Interactionist Perspective, known to many as the Labelling Theory, is interested in social processes and examines deviant behaviour using such methods as social typing. The Interactionists emphasise the role that meanings play in the creation of deviant behaviour and gain a greater understanding of what it means to commit actions that others label as deviant.

A Brief background to the Interactionist Perspective

In order to discuss how the Interactionist theory can be used to explain deviance, it is necessary to understand the historical development and

With an insight into the background of the Interactionist perspective, conclusions can now be drawn as to how this particular theory of deviance is able to explain social phenomena in our society. The Interactionist theory can ideally be broken down into six topic areas in order to more easily analyse deviant behaviour. These areas are Relativity, Audiences, Construction of moral meanings, Labelling and Stigma, Reflexivity and finally The self fulfilling prophesy.

Aggleton, P. (1987). Deviance. London: Tavistock Publications

There are two main elements in the deviance process, they are labelling and stigmatising. In the Interactionist theory, a certain act cannot be deviant itself, it firstly has to be labelled by members of society or a group as a 'deviant act.' "Tannenbaum, describes the process of making someone criminal as a process of tagging, defining, identifying, segregating, describing, emphasising, making conscious and self conscious" (Anleu, 1991, pg 33) Stigmatising is attaching a 'moral stain' to a certain person or group in society therefore spoiling their identity, even if it may not be a true stigma. It is commonly thought by the Interactionists, that people that are stigmatised as deviant, even if it is untrue, find it difficult to recover their self image, therefore falling further into deviant acts. Howard Becker found that people publicly caught engaging in a deviant act, are placed into a new status, one different from their own. (Traub, 1994, pg 304)

Cohen, S. (1977). Images of Deviance. England: Penguin Books

Some common words found in the essay are:
Howard Becker, Label' Goode, Aaron Cicourel's, Furthermore Interactionists, Interactionist Perspective, Stigma Reflexivity, Glass Self', Charles Cooley's, Theory Mead, Charles Cooley, deviant behaviour, interactionist perspective, aggleton 1987, 1990 pg, aggleton 1987 pg, goode 1990, 1987 pg, deviant act, interactionist theory, explain social, howard becker, goode 1990 pg, explain social phenomena, traub 1994 pg, 'looking glass self',
Approximate Word count = 2358
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)