Howard saul beckers book outsiders was extremely influential in the development of this theory and its rise to popularity. 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. 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. The effect of labelling theory on juvenile behaviour is a bit more pronounced and clear. Labeling theory is also connected to other fields besides crime. Howard becker and the term moral entrepreneur customwritings. Deviant interpretations, 85l2l, martin robertson, oxford, l979. In beckers book he coins and furthers the term labelling theory. The stages of his model are 1 the extent to which people believe that mental patients will be devalued and discriminated against by other members of. The earliest critiques of labeling objected to the theory s disregard for the actual behavior of the deviant and the image of the deviant being coerced by the labeling process into a deviant identity role. The labelling theory was propounded by annenbaum in 1938 who believed that tagging, defining, identifying, segregating and describing criminals by labelling them under different heads was helpful in treatment of offenders. Becker is popular for criticizing other theories of deviance for accepting the existence of deviance and by doing so.
The first as well as one of the most prominent labeling theorists was howard becker, who published his groundbreaking work. Criticisms of the labeling perspective many criticisms have been leveled against the labeling perspective by criminologists who looked at labeling as an attack on prior theoretical thought. According to becker and his theory, the label is what causes such deviant behavior. Studies in the sociology of deviance 1963, views deviance as the creation of social groups and not the quality of some act or behavior. Scheff challenged common perceptions of mental illness by claiming that mental illness is evident as a result of societal influence. Labeling theory is situated within the symbolic interactionist framework which suggests that one. In his article becker defines deviance as being created by society. Downes d and rock p eds 1979 deviant interpretations, oxford. Many sociologists view labeling theory as untestable and, by definition, not a true theory ridlon 1988. Labeling theory links modified labeling theory britannica. Labeling theory and personal construct theory northwestern. 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. There is a tendency to overromanticise accounts of deviance, which in their concern for the underdog can distort the reality of crime. Labeling theory was developed by sociologists during the 1960s.
Becker, labeling theory reconsidered in the outsiders 2d ed. In what became the cannonical statement of 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. Thirdly, labelling theory is supposed to cover all criminal activity and has an effect on everyone irrespective of their race, social class, sex and age becker, 1963. Thus if a student is labelled a success, they will succeed, if they are labelled a failure, the will fail. 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. Similarities and differences between the functionalist. Labelling theorists note that most people commit crimes at some time in their lives but not everyone becomes defined as a. As howard becker 1963 puts it deviancy is not a quality of the act a person commits, but rather a consequences of the application by others of rules and sanctions to an offender.
Labelling theory is also interested in the effects of labelling on individuals. Wilson, 1970 to argue that the demise of labelling theory is illusory. Theory ideas similarities differences social control hirschis four factors that increase deviance interactionism beckers theory labelling deviance mini case study you are required to write a mini case study as part of a group. Studies such as beckers 1973 help by demystifying deviance ibid 189 and can begin to explain the. Howard becker theory of labelling social class and. Other criminologists have been doubtful of this part of the theory and hold that a persons race, social class and so on do have an effect.
Rational choice theory adopts a quite different approach to the study of social action, human agency, and social systems and structures. This paper uses the notion of sociological paradigms kuhn, 1970. 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 interactionists argue that people do not become criminals. In defence of labelling theory, and the criticisms that have been levelled at it, becker 1973 ascribes a more limited role to its applicability. American sociologist george herbert meads theory framing social construction of the self as a process involving interactions with others also influenced its development. Labelling theory to what extent does labelling theory offer a useful contribution to the study of crime and deviance in todays society introduction this assignment will discuss labelling theory, it will attempt to explore the contributions made by labelling theorists, the criticism towards labelling theorists, and the discussion surrounding its reality as an actual theory. Labeling theory, in criminology, a theory stemming out of a sociological. As such, behaviours become deviant when those that are conforming to the norms attach labels to those that are not conforming. Specific criticisms of the labeling theory conclude that it is not at all clear. Beckers theory of labeling, while maintaining a great deal of popularity today, does encounter several criticisms pfohl 1994. My goal is to examine the grounds on which labelling theory calls itself critical. In 1966, labeling theory was first applied to the term mentally ill when thomas scheff published being mentally ill. Symbolic interactionism is only one element in the development of the approach. Labelling theory is a perspective that emerged as a distinctive approach to.
A pioneer of labeling theory, becker 1963 stated that deviant behaviour does not exist until it is defined as such by members of society. Lesson objectives introduce the labelling theory to crime and deviance be able to apply labelling theory to examples of crime and deviance evaluate labelling theory 3. Instead of looking at why some social groups commit more crime, the labelling theory asks why some people committing some actions come to be defined as deviant, while others do not. In 1989, links modified labeling theory expanded the original framework of labeling theory to include a fivestage process of labeling as it pertained to mental illness. Labelling perspective is regarded as one of the main theories developed by the interactionists, with howard becker being instrumental in its formation giddens. Labeling theory has been criticized as being too simplistic. However, it is not a theory, with all the achievements and obligations that go with the title, nor is it focussed exclusively on the act of.
And these elements of the article have often been taken to imply that becker. Last lesson recap examine the role of access to opportunity structures in causing crime. An overview of howard beckers labeling theory of 1963 kibin. The effects of labeling and stereotype threat on offender. 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. If you need a custom essay or research paper on this topic, please use our writing services. Labeling theory labeling theory links modified labeling theory. The idea of labeling theory flourished in american sociology during the 1960s, thanks in large part to sociologist howard becker. The first section provides an explication of beckers statement within the broader context of. He argues that the labelling theory has a clear value position that is, it speaks up for the powerless and the underdog. Your case study will provide an example of the theory of deviance assigned to your group by the teacher. Labelling theory is a result of the work of howard becker.
The main theorist within labelling theory howard becker illustrates how crime is the product of social interactions by using the example of a. The importance of labelling theory earlham sociology pages. Theoretical basis lemerts concepts of primary and secondary deviance draw from george herbert meads perspectives on social interaction and from labeling theory, the genesis of which is usually attributed to frank tannenbaum in his 1938 crime and the community. Labeling theory reconsidered in the outsiders 2d ed. Labeling theory highlights social responses to crime american sociologists howard s. In the 1970s i published misunderstanding labelling perspectives in d. Thomas, charles horton cooley, and herbert blumer, among others. Labeling theory is a pretty simple theory that is based on social deviations which result in the labeling of the outsider. Before him, frank tennenbaum 1938, edwin lemert 1951, john kitsuse 1962 and k. Essay on the modern labelling theory of crime 1411 words. Popularity labeling theory was popular in the 1960s and early 1970s.
Although underscoring the salience of formal labeling, the. Scientists do not ordinarily question the label deviant. Becker defined deviance as a social creation in which social groups create. In an earlier version of this document i included a large number of links to recent articles on labelling theory issues.
Erikson 1962 had also used an approach called the social reaction approach or the social interaction approach as different from the structural approach used by merton, or the cultural approach used by cohen and cloward and ohlin. Labelling theory underpins the role of society in defining behaviour. As well as discussing the theory of labelling, becker appraises the process in where users of marihuana become labelled as deviants and talks about jazz music. Labelling theory this paper critically examines howard beckers labeling theory 1963 view that social groups create deviance by making the rules whose infraction constitutes deviance. One of the most groundbreaking sociology texts of the mid20th century, howard s. Labelling, deviance and media city research online. I have now retained here 12 of these links which advanced level sociology students may find helpful and relocated all other links to an appendix at the end of this document. Thereafter lemert 1951 preferred to label offenders as persons with primary deviance and secondary deviance. The rational choice theory begins, firstly, from the viewpoint of the individual, as opposed to. Plummer k misunderstanding labelling perspectives there are two main kinds of criticisms of labelling theory theoretical and positivistic for the latter, see gove. The labeling theory has been critiqued at a very critical level.
Social groups create deviance through the establishment of social rules, the breaking of these rules results in the perpetrator being labeled as a deviant. The earliest critiques of labeling objected to the theorys disregard for the actual behavior of the deviant and the image of the deviant being coerced by the labeling process into a deviant identity role. He argued that society views certain actions as deviant. The main objective is to attempt to critically evaluate and analyse the notion, themes and ideas embedded within the book and to assess his arguments. Labeling theory implies a policy of nonintervention.
Deviant behaviour is behaviour that people so label. Labelling theorist seek to provide a voice for those who are labelled as deviant or outsiders. Furthermore, in line with beckers work on labelling theory, bias seems to be presented as a contingent product of the situation in which sociologists work, rather than as a feature of that work. Pdf labeling theory provides a distinctively sociological approach that. This labeling theory essay example is published for educational and informational purposes only. Beckers groundbreaking research resonates today in the work of sociologists who study how institutions, including schools, use racial stereotypes to label students of color as deviant problems that must be managed by the criminal justice system, rather than inschool punishment.
There are many variants of rational choice theory which tend to differ from other perspectives in the following ways. It presents an overview and analysis of key mediatised labelling. The label affects selfconcept, which leads to a change in selfconcept, and this change in. It explains that if individuals or groups are defined as deviant, there will be important and often unanticipated consequences at the level of behaviour abercrombie et al. However, its core ideas can be traced back to the work of founding french sociologist emile durkheim. Beckers 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.
Labeling theory emerged as the dominant perspective in the study of deviance in the 1960s, though its origins can be traced to. Becker examines some of the criticisms and feels that labelling theory was created as a way of looking at a general area of human activity 1963. This criticism has survived and continues to haunt labeling theorists because of the. These ideas are also linked to moral criticisms, that labelling theory excludes the moral aspects of crime choosing to commit a criminal act is a moral choice.