Secondary deviance

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Secondary deviance is the central term and the designation of a concept according to which a social degradation process has a negative effect on the self-image of the delinquent and thus promotes criminal careers.

The term was coined in 1951 by the American criminal sociologist Edwin M. Lemert . The concept belongs to the context of the labeling approach , but is therefore a moderate version of it because it is not generally assumed that all deviance and delinquency are produced by reactions from the social environment.

Building up process

The forcing and stabilization of deviant behavior in general and delinquent behavior in particular is represented by Lemert as a process of building up, whereby the primary deviance can have different causes, which the concept does not address. Lemert names eight steps of the swing:

  • First deviant behavior, primary deviance
  • Social sanctions
  • Further deviations that are still assigned to the primary deviance
  • Stronger social sanctions and social rejection
  • Further deviation, combined with hostility and resentment towards the sanctioning authorities
  • Exceeding the tolerance limit, legal sanctions, stigmatization of the deviator
  • Increase in deviant behavior as a negative reaction to stigma and punishment
  • Ultimate acceptance of the social role of the deviant, striving to meet the role claims, stabilization of the deviant behavior, secondary deviance.

Decisive for stabilized deviant behavior are the reactions and definitions of the environment, especially those of the official control bodies. Social control thus appears more as a cause of deviant behavior than as a means against it.

literature

  • Edwin M. Lemert: The concept of secondary deviance . In: Klaus Lüderssen and Fritz Sack (eds.): Seminar: Deviant behavior I. The selective norms of society . 2nd edition, Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 1982, ISBN 3-518-27684-0 , pp. 433-476.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Siegfried Lamnek : Theory of deviating behavior , 7th edition, W. Fink, Munich 2001, ISBN 3-8252-0740-4 , p. 221 f.
  2. ^ Edwin M. Lemert: Social pathology; A systematic approach to the theory of sociopathic behavior. McGraw-Hill, New York 1951, p. 77.
  3. ^ Siegfried Lamnek: Theory of deviating behavior , 7th edition, W. Fink, Munich 2001, ISBN 3-8252-0740-4 , p. 222.