You’re listening to CSS Breakdown: Book by Book — Season 2. We’re exploring ‘An Introduction to Criminological Theory’ by Roger Hopkins Burke. In Episode 9, we dive into the victimised actor model of crime, with a special focus on labelling and conflict theories that challenge traditional notions of deviance."

In this episode, based on Chapter 9 of An Introduction to Criminological Theory, we explore the victimised actor model— a perspective that sees individuals as shaped by social structures and labels rather than inherently criminal or fully rational.

We unpack two foundational strands:

🔖 Labelling Theory – Rooted in symbolic interactionism, phenomenology, and ethnomethodology, this approach views deviance not as an intrinsic quality of an act, but as a label imposed by society. We explore how deviant identities are socially constructed, how labels lead to deviance amplification, and how moral panics influence public perception.

⚖️ Conflict Theory – Drawing from Marx, Weber, Simmel, and Dahrendorf, this perspective examines how power dynamics and inequality shape the legal system, influence which behaviors are criminalized, and highlight the selective application of justice.

We also touch on criticisms of these theories and their evolution in recent years.

Perfect for CSS candidates studying Criminology, Sociology, or Political Science, this episode challenges you to rethink how crime is defined — and who gets to define it.