Criminology Concepts
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Created: October 5, 2000
Latest update: December 26, 2000
jeanne

Lemert, in his theory of secondary deviance, says that:

1. Deviance is secondary to character traits and tendencies.
   jeanne's perspective:

   "a" is not an acceptable answer because Lemert is not concerned with character traits and tendencies. He is concerned with actual behavior and its labeling.

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2. Deviance is called secondary because it matters less than the labels we place on those who are deviant.
   jeanne's perspective:

   "b" is not a good choice because Lemert does not call this secondary deviance because he thinks the deviance matters less than the label. He believes that the labels we place on those who do not meet normative expectations are important in the construction of the deviance. But he calls the deviance secondary when it results as much from the interdependence with society's reaction to his "deviance" as it does on the original act of deviance. In this sense, the deviance is socially constructed, with the interdependent strictures of society.

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3. We must stop at its inception the first tendency towards deviance.
   jeanne's perspective:

   "c" is simply wrong. Lemert believes that we should not label so quickly, for there are many explanations for behavior, and we could be wrong about what is meant when one responds with what we assume to be deviant because it does not meet our normative expectations. The behavior could be defiance over perceived unfairness, or fear of labelling, or confusion over what is expected, or . . . .

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4. We are often mistaken in the deviant label we apply to some instances of behavior.
   jeanne's perspective:

   "d" would be my choice. I think this is what Lemert is saying: sometimes our own expectations and reactions are miscommunicated, and the "deviant" miscommunicates in his/her turn. When we make the unstated assumption that we "know" what lies behind the behavior, we often label incorrectly, and the "deviant" may respond in an adversarial manner.

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