Labelling Theory

Labeling theory states that a deviant behavior does not impact to themselves or the people who commit them, but by the reactions of other who comprehend these deviant behaviors, such as the deviant behavior of Justin Bieber.

The Labeling theory is the theory of how the self-identity and behavior of individuals may be determined or influenced by the terms used to describe or classify them. It is associated with the concepts of self-fulfilling prophecy and stereotyping. Labeling theory holds that deviance is not inherent to an act, but instead focuses on the tendency of majorities to negatively label minorities or those seen as deviant from standard cultural norms. The theory was prominent during the 1960’s and 1970’s, and some modified versions of the theory have developed and are still currently popular. A stigma is defined as a powerfully negative label that changes a person’s self-concept and social identity. Labeling theory is closely related to social-construction and symbolic-interaction analysis. Labeling theory was developed by sociologists during the 1960’s. Howard Saul Becker’s book Outsiders was extremely influential in the development of this theory and its rise to popularity. The Labeling theory suggests that people obtain labels from how others view their tendencies or behaviors. Each individual is aware of how they are judged by others because he or she has attempted many roles and functions in social interactions and has been able to gauge the reactions of those present. The documentary centers on the Mara Salvatrucha, better known for their street name MS13, has a reputation as a brutal gang of criminals and murderers across El

This labelling works to isolate them from regular people, and so they tend to associate with others of their own criminal kind. They eventually see themselves as criminals and act that

Many labeling theorists believe that labeling and reacting to offenders as criminals has dangers consequences and it helps deepen the criminal behavior

The last of the social process theories is social reaction theory, also known as labeling theory. Labeling theory, created by Howard Becker in 1963 states, “deviance is a socially constructed process in which social control agencies designate certain people as deviants and they, in turn, come to accept the label placed upon them and act accordingly.” (Kendall, 2016 p. 175). There are several key points to labeling theory. First, behaviors that are considered criminal are subjective.

The deviant is one to whom that label has successfully been applied; deviant behavior is behavior that people so label.” Deviance is created by society and they are the ones who determine it, label the individual, apply rules, create laws, and enforce it. Interactions between people are what creates deviance, actions are done in order for society to deem it as deviant, and labeling theory is there to label the individual that goes against society’s norms and values. Once the person is known to have done the deviant act, they are segregated by society and labeled as biker, goth, drug addict, alcoholic, etc. Furthermore, this segregation by society creates “outsiders” or outcasts from society, who then being to associate with others that are treated in the same way. Therefore, the individual ends up in a cycle of deviance through labeling, segregating, and then association with other members that were

The person associated more often than not with the labeling theory is Howard Becker. Howard Becker in the 1950s used symbolic interactionist approach to study deviance and focused on the way in which negative labels get applied to individuals and on the consequences that this labeling process creates (Becker, n.d.). In his 1950’s book Outsiders, Howard Becker focused his attentions on what he called moral entrepreneurs or those who engage in the process of getting particular behaviors and acts as being deviant and therefore illegal. As an example think about marijuana laws as opposed to laws against alcohol. Smoking marijuana was deemed illegal while alcohol is approved by society (Becker, n.d.).

There are two different types deviance, the first is primary deviance and the second is secondary deviance. Primary deviance is a deviant act that is committed for a all types of reasons (to fit in, to survive, for the thrill ect.) which we may or may not understand. Secondary deviance is best described as “ a deviant

Marcionis and Plummer (2005) state that labelling theory highlights social response to crime and deviance. The main academics in this theory were Becker and Lemert. Lemert (1951) first established the view of deviant, and later developed by Becker (1963). Labelling theory has become a dominant theory in the explanation of

Howard Becker (1963) was the main theorist that constructed the modern labelling theory in the context of deviance. In his research, Becker (1963) finds that when individuals or a particular group’s actions or characteristics have been labelled as ‘deviant’ by the wider society, it brands this individual or group for life. The effect of this label is so powerful that Becker’s research discovered that individuals and groups that have been branded as deviant begin to be associated with the word ‘deviant’. As a result all other characteristics and roles this individual or group plays in society such as mother, father or priest etc. all become dwarfed by this ‘deviant’ label. Therefore it becomes so severe in some cases that the ‘deviant’ label becomes their sole identity (Becker 1963).

Labeling theory emerged during the mid 1960s and into the early 1970s due to the United States experiencing a rapid social change caused by economic and political conflict. Labeling theory focuses on the role social labeling has on the development of crime and deviance. The theory stresses how an individual who has been labeled as deviant from societal norms might initiate them to continue their involvement in crime and deviance. Deviant behavior can be defined as conduct that is disapproved by the public and is typically subject to some form of sanction. In simpler terms, deviant behavior is socially constructed.

The interaction and labeling theories are focused on the meaning of crime and criminality. (Bohm & Vogel). The criminalization process is the primary focus instead of the peculiarities of the criminal actor. They believe that criminals are the product of a negative social reaction.

Labeling theory arose from the study of deviance in the late 1950's and early 1960's and was a rejection of consensus theory or structural functionalism.

The labeling theory suggests that when a society labels certain individuals as deviant and these individuals then accept this label, they begin to act in a deviant manner. Primary deviance is one of the steps in the labeling theory. It refers to an individual’s engaging in the beginning acts of deviance. For example, an adolescent who is caught by an adult drinking for the first time is labeled a deviant because society views under aged drinking deviant behavior. Secondary deviance is another stage in the labeling theory that proposes that once a person is labeled a deviant and accepts that label they continue to exhibit deviant behavior. An example would be if the same adolescent is then shunned by his peers because of his primary deviance.

The labeling theory argues that members from particular sections of a society can behave in a way that is expected of them. They learn this through the way people from other sections of society describe them, the way they are labeled. An example is: people assume that Arab teenage boys from deprived areas in New York are