In contrast to theorists who emphasize the importance of individual behavior in explaining crime and deviance, in recent decades labeling and Marxist scholars have called attention to the importance of the social response to behaviors defined as deviant. In this review, we explore the epistemological, theoretical, and substantive assumptions of the labeling and Marxist schools of thought. While some argue that labeling and Marxist theorists constitute a fundamental challenge to the field of criminology, we suggest that "social response" has in fact been an element of the crimological tradition all along.

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Readings in Labeling Theory

Readings in Conflict/Marxist Theory

Courtesy of Crimetheory.com
© January 23, 2002