Howard becker, drug use and the sociology of deviance. One of the most groundbreaking sociology texts of the mid20th century, howard s. His theory proposes that social rules define situations and the kinds of behaviour appropriate to them becker, 1973, p. Society and the labeling theory there is a dichotomy that exists in todays society between the privileged and the. Labeling theory is also connected to other fields besides crime. A pioneer of labeling theory, becker 1963 stated that deviant behaviour does not exist until it is defined as such by members of society. Labeling theory provides a distinctively sociological approach that focuses on the role of social labeling in the development of crime and deviance. Beckers outsiders is a thorough exploration of social deviance and how it can be addressed in an understanding and helpful manner. Labelling theory is a result of the work of howard becker. He also developed the term moral entrepreneur to describe persons in power who campaign to have certain deviant behavior outlawed becker, 1963.
Howard becker sociology bibliographies cite this for me. Labeling theory was quite popular in the 1960s and early 1970s, but then fell into declinepartly as a result of the mixed results of empirical research. Deviant behaviour is behaviour that people so label. Thomas, charles horton cooley, and herbert blumer, among others. Labeling theory reconsidered in the outsiders 2d ed. As such, behaviours become deviant when those that are conforming to the norms attach labels to those that are not conforming. The works share an allegiance to the symbolic interactionist view, and have been referred to as interactionist theory and the neo. Labelling theory its strengths and weaknesses law teacher, 2015 your bibliography. Labeling theory here builds from the symbolic interactionist tenet that people define and construct their identities from societys perceptions of them. Beckers 1963 book outsiders is credited as one of the first books on labeling theory and its application to studies of deviance.
Labeling theory argues that, from a sociological perspective, what counts is this designation. The theory assumes that although deviant behavior can initially stem from various causes and conditions, once individuals have been labeled or. Howard becker theory of labelling social class and attainment. On the other hand, labelled subcultures are viewed as subversive sim. Howard saul becker s book outsiders was extremely influential in the development of this theory and its rise to popularity. The theory assumes that although deviant behavior can initially stem from various causes and conditions, once individuals have been labeled or defined as deviants. Fraternities and gangs cristina masiello pace university. Pdf labeling theory provides a distinctively sociological approach that. The theoretical survey which follows takes in descrip. Howard becker 1973 suggests four categories of labeling. This bibliography was generated on cite this for me on sunday, january 11, 2015. Becker s outsiders is a thorough exploration of social deviance and how it can be addressed in an understanding and helpful manner.
Labeling theory, in criminology, a theory stemming out of a sociological perspective known as symbolic interactionism, a school of thought based on the ideas of george herbert mead, john dewey, w. Becker stressed the need for a dynamic approach to the studying of labeling theory rather than a simple cause and effect one. In sweden, lunden and nasman have published contributions. Contributions sociology of deviance and labeling theory. Pdf labeling theory emerged as the dominant perspective in the study of deviance in the 1960s, though its origins can be traced to durkheim. Pdf labeling theory provides a distinctively sociological approach that focuses on. A second line of criticism deals with the nature of societal reaction across different societies. Becker 1973 argues that labelling theory was not intended to explain why people commit crimes, but the focus of it is on the interactional elements. According to becker, whether or not labelling occurs depends upon. The definition of labeling theory presented in his book became the generally accepted one. Other theories of deviance attempt to explain the incidence or prevalence of concretely real acts with concretely real consequences robbery, adultery, murder, drug use, rape, and the like. What is deviant in one context may not be considered deviant in another. Labeling theory highlights social responses to crime american sociologists howard s. The second part assesses the state of the evidence on the labelling theory of mental illness.
Pros, cons, and effects on society the social reaction, or labeling theory as it is sometimes known, has developed over time from as early as 1938 wellford, 1975. Outsidersdefining deviance howard becker in this article, howard becker defines outsiders as individuals who break a rule agreed on by a group. Much of what is considered deviant by any given group is. Labelling perspective is regarded as one of the main theories developed by the interactionists, with howard becker being instrumental in its formation giddens and sutton, 20. I dont own the music music is owned by the artist josh record school project on labelingstheory with a depressed girl being a rebel. It is the interactional elements in explaining crime that had previously been ignored or minimised labelling theory was an attempt to highlight the fact that crime cannot be explained without considering the effects that people have on each other. This essay will go on to show the origins of labelling theory, the theory itself and will show its strengths and weaknesses using various case. Labelling theory supports the idea of radical noninterventionism, in which policy dictates that certain acts are decriminalised and the removal of the social stigmata surrounding the acts.
Becker 1963 is referring to the role of rule creation and reaction in the generation. In other words, becker argues, many different facets of deviant behavior are relative. In 1938, frank tannenbaum presented his own approach to labeling theory in response to his studies of juvenile participation in street gangs. Howard becker sociology bibliographies in harvard style. In a later 1973 edition of his work, he answered his critics. Humans are constantly adapting their own identities and behaviour in order to suit the label given to them from those around them bartlett and burton, 2012. My goal is to examine the grounds on which labelling theory calls itself critical. This pdf is a selection from an outofprint volume from the national bureau of economic research.
Labelling theory of mental illness 445 attention toward new data, or to new ways of perceiving old data, which challenge takenforgranted assumptions, and shatter the attitude of everyday life bruyn, 1966. References how labelling theory affects attainment. Social groups create deviance through the establishment of social rules, the breaking of these rules results in the perpetrator being labeled as a deviant. These are the sources and citations used to research labelling theory. The encyclopedia of social theory is an indispensable reference. Sadly, it is human nature to want to think of oneself as better than others, and labeling is an effective means to delude oneself into believing the lie. Becker, labeling theory reconsidered in the outsiders 2d ed. Labeling theory implies a policy of nonintervention. Becker is popular for criticizing other theories of deviance for accepting the existence of deviance and by doing so. Years before he invented a new sociology of social problems, kitsuse crafted theoretical and empirical statements that helped establish the labeling or societal reaction definition of, and perspective on, deviance. Ebook or pdf edited book email encyclopedia article govt. Sociologist howard becker is credited with the most influential formulation of labeling theory, which appears in his book outsiders 1973.
The effects of labeling and stereotype threat on offender. Left for dead in the 1980s by some researchers, labeling theory is enjoying a revival by researchers responding to beckers 1973 call for an interactionist theory of all aspects of deviance, including primary deviance, labeling, and secondary deviance. The effect of labelling theory on juvenile behaviour is a bit more pronounced and clear. Acts and individuals are not inherently deviant until some social groups can successfully define them that way. Labeling theory acts most effectively as a bridge between consensus theories of criminality rational choice, social learning, social disorganization, strain, subculture, and control theories and critical theories that examine the impact of social structures on criminality. Scientists do not ordinarily question the label deviant. The labelling theory of crime was initially a reaction against consensus theories of crime, such as subcultural theory labelling theory is one of the major inschool processes which explains differential educational achievement see here for inschool processes in relation to class differences in education. Tannenbaums interpretation of labeling theory was called the dramatization of evil. Labelling theory sociology bibliographies cite this for me. The first as well as one of the most prominent labeling theorists was howard becker, who published his groundbreaking work. Labelling theory underpins the role of society in defining behaviour. Studies in the sociology of deviance 1963, views deviance as the creation of social groups and not the quality of some act or behavior. As can clearly be seen, though, labelling theory is difficult to test empirically and, perhaps, with the defence provided by becker 1973 is impossible to test this way. In the book, pessin examines beckers work and contributions to the field of sociology.
This article highlights and appreciates an often overlooked aspect of john kitsuses work in the sociology of deviance. Becker, 1963 in studying social status, becker has used the terms master status and career. Deviancy is not a quality of the act a person commits, but rather a consequence of the application by others of rules and sanctions to an offender. Labelling theory how labelling theory affects attainment. Outsiders him as either competent or legitimately entitled to do so. According to gibbs 1966, it was unclear whether becker 1963 was pursuing a theory of deviant behavior or a theory about reactions to deviance. Labeling theory is situated within the symbolic interactionist framework which suggests that one. Becker, assumes that people in powerful positions determine what is deviant and that no act is intrinsically deviant or normal. Labeling theory is closely related to socialconstruction and symbolicinteraction analysis. One of the major factors that did influence the teachers was the way a child was dressed and how neat and tidy their work was. It was found that employers would not offer a job to a person with a criminal record.
Left for dead in the 1980s by some researchers, labeling theory is enjoying a revival by researchers responding to becker s 1973 call for an interactionist theory of all aspects of deviance, including primary deviance, labeling, and secondary deviance. Labeling theory emerged as the dominant perspective in the study of deviance in the 1960s, though its origins can be traced to. Labeling theory also referred to as societal reaction theory analyzes how social groups create and apply definitions for deviant behavior. The theory claims that for a criminal to be successfully labeled, an audience must be present to provide a reaction to the crimes committed labeling theory concerns itself not with the normal roles that define our lives, but with those very special roles that society provides for. American sociologist george herbert meads theory framing social construction of the self as a process involving interactions with others also influenced its development. Becker also claims that rule breakers may perceive a person who enforces the rule as an outsider. Labeling theory here builds from the symbolic interactionist tenet that people define. Critics of labelling theory have attacked with both theoretical arguments and empirical evidence.
Howard saul beckers book outsiders was extremely influential in the development of this theory and its rise to. A person, once labelled a criminal after the first deviation, will be labelled as such and this results in a. Human nature frequently presents itself as ignorance, arrogance, or ambivalence. Rather, its advocates have taken a common viewpoint in analyzing criminal behavior. Studies such as becker s 1973 help by demystifying deviance ibid 189 and can begin to explain the attraction to the behaviour which is a strength of labelling. For instance there is the labeling theory that corresponds to homosexuality.
Pdf labelling theory societal reaction theory trixie. Studies such as beckers 1973 help by demystifying deviance ibid 189 and can begin to explain the attraction to the behaviour which is a strength of labelling. Associations diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, though it once was. With particular research into drug culture, outsiders analyzes unconventional individuals and their place in normal society. Howard becker and edwin lemert have carried out studies. Youths are especially vulnerable to labelling theory. A compulsively readable and thoroughly researched exploration of social deviance and the application of what is known as labeling theory to the studies of deviance. Labeling theory was developed by sociologists during the 1960s. Howard becker theory of labelling social class and. Thus, the labelling theory shifted the focus to those who label, that is, the process of rulemaking and rule enforcement. The labelling theory of crime is associated with interactionism the key ideas are that crime is socially constructed, agents of social control label the powerless as deviant and criminal based on stereotypical assumptions and this creates effects such as the selffulfilling prophecy, the criminal career and deviancy amplification. This 1963 piece established an early foundation for what has become known as the interactionist theory of deviant behavior.
However, its core ideas can be traced back to the work of founding french sociologist emile durkheim. Becker by french sociologist alain pessin was released in france. Howard becker 1971 did a study on labelling and interviewed 60 school teachers and through his findings found that they do label and judge pupils to how they fit the image of an ideal pupil. One of the major factors that did influence the teachers was the way a. Pdf goffmans theory of stigmatisation and labelling. Howard becker 1928 labelling is the process by which others usually those in powerful positions come to impose an identity upon us obyrne, 2011.
Evaluation of labeling theory an important theory that can be used to explain criminal behavior is labeling theory. Howard becker is hailed as the founder of modern labeling theory. Labeling theory and symbolic interaction theory criminology. In his article becker defines deviance as being created by society.
Among the bestknown names in the field are becker, lemert, scheff and goffman. It holds that deviance is not an inherent tendency of an individual, but instead focuses on the tendency of majorities to negatively label minorities or those. Nov 27, 2018 labeling theory argues that, from a sociological perspective, what counts is this designation. Labeling theory posits that selfidentity and the behavior of individuals may be determined or. According to becker, deviance is not an intrinsic feature of behavior. While we prefer the term interactionist theory of deviance becker, 1973, our use of labeling theory is based on its wider recognition. The idea of labeling theory flourished in american sociology during the 1960s, thanks in large part to sociologist howard becker. Introduction to education studies 3rd edition london.
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