effects of labeling theory

The labeling theory of juvenile delinquency deals with the effects of labels, or stigmas, on juvenile behavior. Labeling theory is a theory that tries to explain the effects of “labeling” by the society on an individual. Labeling theory attributes its origins to French sociologist Émile Durkheim and his 1897 book, Suicide. 4, 541-553.Scimecca, J. In addition to lower expectations, the student may develop low self-esteem and experience issues with peers.Low Self-EsteemLabeling students can create a sense of learned helplessness. Secondary deviance has only occurred when both society and the individual share the view that the offender is a criminal. The results of these studies are somewhat mixed in that some provide weak validation for this theory given certain circumstances, the strongest of which being the study of delinquent behavior in children by Foster, Dinitz, and Reckless who had experienced primary deviance and stigmatization to a small degree (Foster & Dinitz & Reckless, 1972). In 1966 Erikson expanded labeling theory to include the functions of deviance, illustrating how societal reactions to deviance stigmatize the offender and separate him or her from the rest of society. In a small study of child behavior after punishment, it was found that if the audience held the offender in a positive regard, the offender was likely to rise to these expectations and act in a manner befitting a "good boy" (Wellford, 1975). Interactionists argue that there is no such thing as an inherently deviant act – in other words there is nothing which is deviant in itself in all situations and at all times, certain acts only become deviant in certain situations when others label them as deviant. Get a verified writer to help you with Labeling theory and its effects to the society. When leading to secondary deviance, this criminal label is placed on an individual during what is known as a "degradation ceremony" in which the accused is officially labeled as a criminal. Social Pathology. (984), 4.9 (345). The biggest question one must ask when evaluating any theory is "has it been empirically validated?" Beckers work pays particular attention to the way society reacts to people with "criminal" labels. In a study of drunk drivers it was concluded that socioeconomic status, race, sex, and age can indeed influence whether labeling theory has an effect on people. He also developed the term "moral entrepreneur" to describe persons in power who campaign to have certain deviant behavior outlawed (Becker, 1963). Such an identity change could be signaled by a person losing contact with their former conformist friends and beginning to associate with other criminal labeled deviants (Becker, 1963). As a result these factors, which could be considered confounders, greatly hinder any attempt at the operationalization of this theory. Parsimony simply asks how complex the theory is. Because of the perception that the society has on these individuals, they may begin to change their behavior to that which the society has labeled them to have either consciously or unconsciously. By. All rights reserved. In such cases rehabilitative therapy and out-of-court settlements would be preferable. Labeling things gets more dangerous, howvever, when you label people based on superficial, quick observances like Black or white, goth, or terrorist. As it has already been explained, if the audience doesnt know of the crime then this is as far as the process goes. Hardcore followers of the labeling theory still assert that the personality of the individual undergoing stigmatization is irrelevant. Labeling theory provides a distinctively sociological approach that focuses on the role of social labeling in the development of crime and deviance. There have been plenty of studies which evaluate the conclusion of this process, how criminals view themselves both in the primary and secondary deviance stages. New York, NY: The Free Press Becker, H. S. (1964). Even if the drugs do not affects his professional life, when individuals whom they work with come to know that they use drugs, they may start avoiding and associating them with all other crimes that are done by drug addicts. It shows that: by labeling an individual for example as insane, that could mark the beginning of the process of him being insane. First of all if the court atmosphere could be avoided in situations where the crime were minor offenses or misdemeanors its possible that the offender would be able to avoid formal sentencing and the degradation ceremony that goes with it. Retrieved from http://studymoose.com/labeling-theory-and-its-effects-to-the-society-essay, Copying content is not allowed on this website, Ask a professional writer to help you with your text, Give us your email and we'll send you the essay you need, Please indicate where to send you the sample. Despite the popularity of labeling theory, very few studies have been explicitly (or implicitly) designed to test the effects of criminal labels on employment. When a person is labeled as such by society, they are likely to accept this label as a part of themselves. The first is not the initial act of committing a crime, but an "audience" learning of the crime being committed. The other possibility is that a formal ceremony which would cancel the stigma associated with the degradation ceremony could be held. Since then criminologists have been, at the very least, skeptical. This theory has merit in that there is the potential for it to be incorporated into a larger, more inclusive, theory of criminology. There are several core variables, each of which is flawed, to be considered. There are a number of fundamental issues that the labelling theory attempts to explain. According to Becker (1963), the process of labeling cannot be assumed to be purely right because if so, it could have not considered the general rule of deviance which is: it is the society that creates it. LABELING THEORY Sociologyindex, Sociology Books 2008 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. A person could be a parent, employee, spouse, etc., but the first and major status that will come to mind to other people and themselves is that of the criminal (Becker, 1963). Any other statuses a person occupies are no longer heeded. Often this takes place during court sentencing, but can come about in more subtle fashions as well. The Other Side: Perspectives on Deviance. An example is an individual who is perceived to be a drug addict. The students may feel that since they are labeled they just cannot do well or that they are stupid. This new peer group of like-minded deviants also increases the likelihood of the person continuing and possibly escalating the rate and seriousness of their criminal behavior. New York, NY: The Free Press, Labeling theory and its effects to the society. The advantages of labeling can be summarized as follows: 1. Social Problems, Vol. Do they become criminals or try to "rationalize" as stated by Foster, Dinitz, and Reckless (Foster & Dinitz & Reckless, 1972)? First, is the view that people tend to behave the way they are labelled. Erwin Lemert is credited with being the founder of what is called the "Societal Reaction" theory. Although the individuals may be determined to do things right, it may be difficult to abide by that (Becker, 1963). The vast majority of the studies had findings do a fine job of disproving social reactions theory. His main concept was the dramatization of evil. Presumably these study results reflected actual behavioral differences that were reacted to differently by others (Marshall & Purdy, 1972). The theory may affect the society in many ways. Through either a personal audience such as family or friends, or a formal one such as a court of law the person undergoes a degradation ceremony which labels the person deviant. (1977). He proposes that this label becomes a persons master status, meaning that this is a constant label, affecting and over-riding how others will view them. First of all if the court atmosphere could be avoided in situations where the crime were minor offenses or misdemeanors its possible that the offender would be able to avoid formal sentencing and the degradation ceremony that goes with it. As a result of the belief that personal and societal factors do not contribute to motivations for criminal behavior there has been little study of the criminal him/herself and the aforesaid factors. The labeller gets a general perception of the subject and allows him no room for change or improvement. Herein, “label” will connote a designation assignment by qualified school personnel, psychologists, and other diagnostic professionals. This will leave him with no other option other than involving in crime for survival, something which he could not have gotten himself in were it not for stigmatization and labels that were directed to him/her (Becker, 1963). Ashley Crossman. Supporting labeling theory’s central proposition, formal labeling was linked to more negative affect and disability days in both groups. Help. It shows that: by labeling an individual for example as insane, that could mark the beginning of the process of him being insane. Labeling Theory and Personal Construct Theory: Toward the Measurement of Individual Variation. It is, after all, the studyof the nature, control, management, and prevention of crime. This is a theory that Becker created in 1963. In this case studies have shown little in the way of how this process works, this aspect is still mainly theoretical. The modified labelling theory concludes that effects of cultural ideas such as incompetency can lead to negative effects when the label is applied, which in turn leads to the ‘mental patient’ feeling devalued and discriminated against. Posted Jun 13, 2014 Naturally, labelling a child will have a huge impact on their self-esteem. So how does this process of defining a person as deviant work? Unfortunately, this theory of affect labeling struggles to explain affect labeling's benefits on stimuli that do not apply to the self. 3, 332-345. Those people with such qualities did not see themselves as deviant despite what anyone else may have thought (Broadhead, 1974). To better understand Labeling Theory, familiarization with Lemerts Societal Reaction Theory is beneficial. From this we can conclude that both who the audience is comprised of as well as their reactions affects the level of stigmatization the labeled individual feels, if any. 19, No. Howard Becker is hailed as the founder of modern labeling theory. An example of this would be an exotic dancer, who while labeled as deviant, does not consider herself so by claiming it is a legal profession that she must perform in order to maintain an income. A Theoretical Critique of the Societal Reaction Approach to Deviance. Social Problems, Vol. References Becker, H. S. (1963). A. Thus if a student is labelled a success, they will succeed, if they are labelled a failure, the will fail. After looking at the study results I remain to be convinced that this theory can be effectively tested as there are too many unknowns. Labeling theory is a theory to understand deviance in the society, this theory is focused more on trying to understand how people react to behavior that happens around them and label it as ‘deviant’ or ‘nondeviant’. Sometimes the persons criminal master status may compel them to conform more closely to societys norms in an attempt to show others that the person may have made mistakes in life, but such mistakes will not happen again. Labeling theory is a theory that tries to explain the effects of “labeling” by the society on an individual. Labelling theorists note that most people commit crimes at some time in their lives but not everyone becomes defined as a deviant or a criminal. It may lead to increased crime rate among individuals and society. Labeling theory - Labeling theory - Link’s modified labeling theory: In 1989 Link’s modified labeling theory expanded the original framework of labeling theory to include a five-stage process of labeling as it pertained to mental illness. Its probable that the murderers socialization and/or value system could initialize self-labeling, but the theory clearly states the labeling must come from a 3rd party (Hagan, 1973). conforming. Henceforth they will act in a fashion deemed "normal" (Foster & Dinitz & Reckless, 1972). According to this theory, the stigmatizing or negative labels given to these individuals have a significant effect on them such that some of the individuals may proceed to being deviant (Becker, 1964). For example the relatives of a person become withdrawn and distance themselves from that person when they find out he/she has committed a crime, regardless of whether or not he/she faces formal charges (Wellford, 1975). Social Reaction (Labeling) Theory: Pros, Cons, and Effects On Society, Publish your own unique high quality original work and get rewarded with great exposure, our community is a great friendly place so join us now, Publish professional web pages about your favourite topics. 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Posted Jun 13, 2014 from www.precookedsociology.com what are the effects of “ labeling ” by the society an!, W. C. ( 1972 ) variables, each of these factors examining. Been empirically validated? what Becker calls moral entrepreneurs about themselves often enough, they eventually start to believe and... • labelling theorists are interested in the development of Hong Kong Teenagers it nonetheless isa subject that every aspiring should! “ labeling ” by the criminal justice, ask Writer for help top-notch. That could be held unfortunately it was not specified exactly how each of these factors altered the effect labeling is... Become victims of this theory is a theory that Becker created in 1963 labelled as deviant despite what anyone may., differing from society to society, nor can the confounders for that matter and criminal,... Is short and simple, then it is short and simple, it... & Dinitz & Reckless, W. C. ( 1972 ) and ridicule to or. 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( 1974 ) has it been empirically validated? – Critics... The said individual to help you with labeling theory as unscientific students may that... These factors, which could be regarded positively is that it is very parsimonious it and act accordingly any of., labeling theory and its effects are not trivial at all label of criminal is!

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