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-studies and examples. Criminology, 45(3), 547-581. This theory is widely credited to be the forerunner of the present day labelling theory. Because these labeledyouths are not necessarily rejecting other labeledyouths, it thus makes sense that deviant groups can form where deviants provide social support to other deviants. Delinquency, situational inducements, and commitment to conformity. (2007). - Psychoanalytic explanations have had some influence on policies for dealing with crime and deviance. That is not a drawback but merely a statement of facts. Short, J. F., & Strodtbeck, F. L. (1965). The conventions of these groups can have heavy influence on the decisions to act delinquently. Book. This is due to the fact that people with low self esteem or a different/weak personality trait takes these drugs to show that they can handle it and want to rebel against society. It argues that no act is intrinsically criminal, but it takes root from what society deemed deviant or those that violate the norms and create social problems. It also attempts to understand how and why labelling has such a powerful impact on the rest of society. As is the case with all sociological theories, it's important to be aware of the strengths and limitations that they pose when explaining certain phenomena. Later, Sampson and Laub (1997) argued that defiant or difficult children can be subject to labeling and subsequent stigma that undermines attachments to conventional others family, school, and peers. There is however no scientific study on the effects of the above factors. He said that due to their illness, they behave differently most of the time and are hence treated as such. (Sherman and Smith, 1992). American Sociological Review, 609-627. Labelling can therefore be viewed within at least two contexts. Peers' rejection as a possible consequence of official reaction to delinquency in Chinese society. The daily mail ran an article which stated that some people were more likely to smoke if they saw Smoking Kills on it. Those that were not able to conform to the rest of the tribe i.e. He then went on to find that tribe that had stuttering, placed a very high meaning and emphasis on storytelling and oratory skills. They then accept themselves as being criminal as use it to counter (either by moving with similar peer groups or by other means) societys reaction to the initial act. Criminology. Formal labels are labels ascribed to an individual by someone who has the formal status and ability to discern deviant behavior. Noting this discrepancy, Sherman and Smith (1992) aimed to examine the effect of arrest for domestic violence on subsequent violence and found that arrest for domestic violence increased the likelihood for subsequent arrest for domestic violence, but only in cases where the perpetrator was unemployed. - Critics doubt the existence of an unconscious mind how . He pointed out that deviance was created entirely on the whims of authority. What is considered a deviant act? Labelling theory however has many inherent drawbacks. Most studies found a positive correlation between formal labeling and subsequent deviant behavior, and a smaller but still substantial number found no effect (Huizinga and Henry, 2008). Travis, J. History has shown that society has and will change to accept criminal behaviour or to make legal behaviour illegal. For example, the teachers and staff at a school can label a child as a troublemaker and treat him as such (through detention and so forth). The uneasy and ambiguous interactions between non-deviantly and deviantly-labeledpeople can, lead normals and the stigmatized to arrange life so as to avoid them, (Goffman, 1963). on their weaknesses. History has shown that society has and will change to accept criminal behaviour or to make legal behaviour illegal. Deviant self-concept originates from the theory of symbolic interactionism. Copyright 2003 - 2023 - LawTeacher is a trading name of Business Bliss Consultants FZE, a company registered in United Arab Emirates. In this article, we share everything you need to know about the fascinating labeling theory. Weaknesses of Fraud's theory. He argues that being deviant is not inherent in a person, but rather, its built-in to society. Different audiences may have different reactions to a crime and thus the punishment and the labelling will vary even though the same crime is being committed. Becker, H. (1963). Youths are especially vulnerable to labelling theory. Thus, being labeled or defined by others as a criminal offender may trigger processes that tend to reinforce or stabilize involvement in crime and deviance, net of the behavioral pattern and the. Becker pays particular attention to how people and society react and operate with others who have the criminal label. Lemert could not establish a clear reason as to why that was so. Labelling theory and its theorists focus on the groups and/or individuals who were deemed to be criminal and labelled thus by society. The labeling theory does not seem to stop being a hot topic, attracting debates and criticism. American Journal of Sociology. Other theorists, such as Sampson and Laub (1990) have examined labeling theory in the context of social bonding theory. Social sciences play an important role in the labeling theory. 2nd ed. If the person views themselves as a criminal then the secondary deviant phase has begun. There have been studies to show how after being diagnosed with a mental illness labelling has taken an effect, such as not being offered houses and jobs, but there is very little to show that labelling was the cause of mental illness in the first place. Some studies found that being officially labeled a criminal (e.g. An example would be drugs. This is the most debated part of the labelling theory brought about by him. View examples of our professional work here. You should not treat any information in this essay as being authoritative. Howard Becker is an American sociologist who produced Outsiders in 1963 that talks about the Sociology of Deviance. The labeling theory falls under the same category as symbolic interactionism, differential association, and control theory. Well done! Conversely, however, social control agencies made the punishment of delinquents severe and public, with the idea that such punishments created deterrence. Charlotte Nickerson is a member of the Class of 2024 at Harvard University. The researchers highlight three stages through which labels evolve: During the speculation stage, "first impressions" are made on the basis of things like the students appearance, ability and enthusiasm and their relationship with other students. Cooleys concept of the looking-glass self states how we Now it is legal. Firstly, labeling can cause rejection from non-deviant peers. Strengths Results can be reliably reproduced. Learn How to Order Essay Online. Early in the century, authorities labelled it criminal and illegal. China is a unique cultural context for examining labeling theory in that officially, the Chinese Communist party and government emphasized educating, instructing, and dealing with the emotions of offenders and discouraged people from discriminating against them. Get Revising is one of the trading names of The Student Room Group Ltd. Register Number: 04666380 (England and Wales), VAT No. If the person views themselves as a criminal then the secondary deviant phase has begun. labeling theory, in criminology, a theory stemming from a sociological perspective known as "symbolic interactionism," a school of thought based on the ideas of George Herbert Mead, John Dewey, W.I. There have been arguments that labelling in . Labelling theory however has many inherent drawbacks. 111): Chicago University of Chicago Press. The severity of official punishment for delinquency and change in interpersonal relations in Chinese society. Outsiders: Studies In The Sociology of Deviance. Carter, M. J., & Fuller, C. (2016). According to him, society then places certain behavioural expectations on the individual and the individual subconsciously changes his behaviour to suit the expectations of society. These are dependent upon the interpretation of those who enact those laws, like the courts and the police. The Chinese government implicitly encouraged the masses to widely revile criminals and deviants, while officially stating that they aimed to reform delinquent behavior, particularly in adolescents. According to Erwin Lemerts Societal Reaction, a person goes through two phases of social deviance: The labeling theory explains that an individual succumbs to his deviant identity when hes labeled as such by society. There have been studies to show how after being diagnosed with a mental illness labelling has taken an effect, such as not being offered houses and jobs, but there is very little to show that labelling was the cause of mental illness in the first place. We can summarise the strengths of this approach as follows: All their other associations and labels such as that of parent, employee, and so on take a back seat. The effect of labelling theory on juvenile behaviour is a bit more pronounced and clear. The drugtakers. Here, at Studybay, my objective is to make sure all our texts are clear, informative, and engaging. Consistent with labeling theory, children whose parents see them as someone who gets into trouble or breaks rules and children who feel as if their friends, parents, and teachers see them as someone who gets into trouble or breaks rules tend to have higher levels of subsequent delinquency. A life-course theory of cumulative disadvantage and the stability of delinquency. 179-196): Springer. He or she is then labelled criminal but has yet to accept the label. He said that labelling theory and the mentally ill have no influence on one another. (1984). This is due to the fact that people with low self esteem or a different/weak personality trait takes these drugs to show that they can handle it and want to rebel against society. Deterrence theory states that whether or not someone commits an act of deviance is determined largely by the costs and benefits of committing a crime versus the threat of punishment. Labeling can lead to blocked opportunities, such as reduced education and instability in employment; and, the weak conventional ties resulting from this lack of opportunity can create a long-lasting effect on adult criminal behavior. It is in these societies that the policing organisations have trouble controlling the abuse of drugs. This was due to the fact the these people had low self esteem and by doing something that brings them close to the edge makes them feel like a rebel. It is those that in power choose to classify actions as such through law-making. Becoming a Marihuana User. And secondly, labeling can cause a withdrawal from interactions with non-deviant peers, which can result from a deviant self-concept. highlights weakness in crime statistics. Individuals can rationalize their deviant behaviour. He questioned fifty of those users and found that they did not have any pre-dispositional behaviour towards it. It is the teachers duty to focus on students strengths and help them to . Labeling Theory The theory of labeling is defined as a view of deviance. The theory of labeling was originated from Howard . But if the juvenile has a bad relationship with his family, home changes its meaning altogether. Outsiders-Defining Deviance. He stated that if a person is described as being a criminal then he automatically becomes one. Lemert states that there are exceptions and people continue to stay in the primary phase, an example would be someone who rationalizes that the so called criminal act is legal as it is necessary for them to survive and earn money (an exotic dancer would be an example). mile argues that whats considered a crime and delinquency is actually those that outrages the society and not those that simply violate penal codes. Manage Settings If they live in Massachusetts, they will have no problem claiming a marriage license as same-sex marriage is legal in that state. Marijuana for example is tolerated in Amsterdam and is legal in other parts of the world (Mexico allows four grams for personal use). They then form bonds with like minded deviant peers. The Sociological Quarterly, 48(4), 689-712. These are the sources and citations used to research Strengths and weaknesses of labelling theory. Crime in the making: Pathways and turning points through life: Harvard University Press. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. These people learn to define what they are and what they do on the basis of how they see the attitudes of the people around them (Bernburg, 2009). Labelling can have different aspects as well. There is however no scientific study on the effects of the above factors. Briar, S., & Piliavin, I. The Communication Theory and Methodology section of the proceedings contains the following 18 papers: "The Continuing Question of Motivation in the Knowledge Gap Hypothesis" (Tom Weir); "Memory Decay and the Agenda-Setting Effect: An Examination of Three News Media" (Wayne Wanta and Melissa J. Roy); "Open, Closed, or Both: Expanding the Flexibility of Question Formats in Survey Research" (Paul . He said that people are said to be mentally ill, when they display behaviour that makes them to be so. The labeling of convicted felons and its consequences for recidivism. Well occasionally send you promo and account related emails. But now, homosexuality is an accepted fact in society and there are little or fewer stigmas and or labelling attached to it. This is the most debated part of the labelling theory brought about by him. Thus we can say that labelling does have a profound effect but has yet to be shown that it was labelling that caused the illness in the first place. Thomas, Charles Horton Cooley, Herbert Blumer, and others, with Howard Becker considered as the most prominent one of all. Official labeling, criminal embeddedness, and subsequent delinquency: A longitudinal test of labeling theory. An example would be a person stealing to satisfy his hunger. Panimpex Ltd, 25 Martiou, 27, D. Michael Tower, office 105A, Egkomi, 2408, Nicosia, Cyprus, Labeling Theory Overview: Definition and Authors. Labelling theory is the theory that the public act in the way that society has labelled them, which gives negative connotations towards that person. ignores the victims of the crime. Sociologists generally agree that deviant labels are also stigmatizing labels (Bernburg, 2009). The most frequent use would be recreational. It fails to explain why people commit primary deviance in the first place before they are labeled. The community will despise them, and they can even resort to shaming. Crime, punishment, and stake in conformity: Legal and informal control of domestic violence. These youths then go on to reject those that have labelled them and tend to set up their own criminal lifestyles consisting of criminal behaviour. Labelling theory - weakness. Chriss, J. J. The second is known as the Secondary deviance phase. Interactionism and crime: strengths and weaknesses. The level of stigmatization an individual gets varies on whether or not he cares about his label. Tierney, J (2006). This theory also explains the behaviour of some people due to them being labelled at a young age. 806 8067 22, Registered office: International House, Queens Road, Brighton, BN1 3XE, evaluation of labelling theory - negatives, Interactionist Theories on Social Class and Crime. Once they start to believe in their negative labels, self rejection occurs which plays a major role in the social rejection theory. had bad storytelling and oratory skills were mocked. Thus we see that labelling though introduced to help society and make it a better place can actually make it worse. In: BECKER, Howard. But if Ashley lives in Wyoming, where the use of marijuana - for medicinal purposes or not - is illegal, people will consider her purchase and the use of it as a deviant act. The delinquent adolescent misbehaves, the authority responds by treating the adolescent like someone who misbehaves, and the adolescent responds in turn by misbehaving again. 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