Labeling theory is a pretty simple theory that is based on social deviations which result in the labeling of the outsider. Criminologists agree that the increase in cybercrime stems. The idea of labeling theory flourished in american sociology during the 1960s, thanks in large part to sociologist howard becker. Frank tannenbaum and the chicago school of sociology, deviant behavior, 1, 2017. Official labeling, criminal embeddedness, and subsequent delinquency. Labeling theory and symbolic interaction theory criminology. Labeling theory and its contribution to the discipline of criminology. What is the concept of the labeling theory in criminology. Apr 23, 2014 demons are persons the untold truth about demons very powerful duration. A summary of issues discussed will also be given at the end. Introduction labeling theory and its contribution to the discipline of criminology. Labeling theory proposes that it is not the actor alone, but the reactors, or agents of social control who detemine whether or not a youth will progress down a. For example, a teenager who lives in an urban area frequented by gangs. At the heart of the labeling theory debate will remain inclusion and exclusion, and the effects that labeling has on a person breaking the cycle of deviance and criminality.
The father of labelling theory franklin tannenbaum 18931969, developed the concept of the socialreaction, or labelling, theory. Labeling theory emerged as the dominant perspective in the study of deviance in the 1960s, though its origins can be traced to. Labeling entails that the identity assigned to an individual is in some respect altered to his discredit. Other theories of deviance attempt to explain the incidence or prevalence of concretely real acts with concretely real consequences robbery.
Labeling theory is a theory that laid emphasis on the social process through the special attention devoted to the interaction between individuals and society. Labeling theory focuses attention on the social interactions and reactions that shape individuals and their behavior. Labeling theory is a vibrant area of research and theoretical development within the field of criminology. Crossref derral cheatwood, the contributions of labeling studies to criminology, journal of crime and justice. Robbing a store and driving faster than the speed limit. According to social control theory, deviance occurs when a persons or groups attachment to social bonds is weakened. Nov 17, 2015 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. Labeling theory in a previous lesson, we discussed deviance. Although underscoring the salience of formal labeling, the.
Some of mine follow my name in the bio statement above this post. Labeling and symbolic interaction theories of crime. 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. American sociologist george herbert meads theory framing social construction of the self as a process involving interactions with others also influenced its development. This essay will go on to show the origins of labelling theory, the theory itself and will show its strengths and weaknesses using various casestudies and examples.
In sociology, labeling theory is the view of deviance according to which being labeled as a deviant leads a person to engage in deviant behavior. Deviant interpretations, 85l2l, martin robertson, oxford, l979. However, its core ideas can be traced back to the work of founding french sociologist emile durkheim. Labels and its correlation between effects on deviance. Becker, labeling theory reconsidered in the outsiders 2d ed. Labeling as an effect used as a dependent variable when attempting to explain why particular. Labeling theory tends to focus largely on the offender. Labeling theory distinguishes between criminal acts and criminal careers. Labeling theory and radical criminology labeling theory. Labeling theory posits that selfidentity and the behavior of individuals may be determined or influenced by the terms used to describe or classify them. We all acquire labels as we make our way through life. This theory was advanced by becker and it explains the causes of criminal and deviant behaviour in society.
Labeling theory was developed by sociologists during the 1960s. Labelling theory underpins the role of society in defining behaviour. Some argue that crime and deviance is caused by labelling, as after an offender is labelled by society this often leads to a spiral of repeat offences, as heshe is not given a chance by society so. It has been tagged as symbolic interaction and social construction. Nov 27, 2018 labeling theory argues that, from a sociological perspective, what counts is this designation.
The theory was prominent during the 1960s and 1970s, and some modified versions of the theory have developed and are still currently popular. Reza barmaki, on the origin of labeling theory in criminology. Pdf using labeling theory as a guide to examine the patterns. Kuper 1996 argue that, the labeling theory which is also referred to as the social reaction theory dwells on defining deviance as a consequence of the influence of societal reaction to a particular behavior. 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. Labelling theory in crime using material from item a and elsewhere assess the view that crime and deviance are the product of the labelling process. Beckers labeling theory tannenbaum, lemert, and kitsuse had discussed important concepts in labeling and stigmatization, but the labeling approach was more systematically refined with the. Something is only deviant, or becomes deviant because someone has been successful in labelling it as, deviancy is ambiguous, definitions differ from society to society or even culture to culture. Social groups create deviance through the establishment of social rules, the breaking of these rules results in the perpetrator being labeled as a deviant. Labeling theory stresses the idea that deviance is a relative term. Various theorists who discuss this theory will be studied in order to better understand criminal behaviour.
Ac cording to the labeling theorists, what constitutes deviant behavior is fundamentally the reaction of the. For responses to criticisms of labeling theory, see h. The first as well as one of the most prominent labeling theorists was howard becker, who published his. Social labeling theory criminology flashcards quizlet. Criminology project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Jan 17, 2015 we all acquire labels as we make our way through life. The theory that a persons course in life is determined by short.
Under this perspective, people become deviant not because of the act itself, but how people react to that act. From the time of tannenbaum 1938, lemert 1951 up to becker 1963, the labeling theory has been described as the dramatization of evil. Some critics feel social problems has been unreceptive to new ideas. He argued that society views certain actions as deviant. 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.
It is associated with the concepts of selffulfilling prophecy and stereotyping. Labeling theory is situated within the symbolic interactionist framework which suggests that one. 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 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. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.
For instance there is the labeling theory that corresponds to homosexuality. Yet, implicit in interactionist theories of deviance is a concern for the social situation as a. One important new theory, labeling theory, found its original support in social problems. The strengths and weaknesses of labelling theory criminology. He described that once offenders are labelled as criminals, it is very difficult to escape the stereotypes that come with being a criminal. Originating in the mid to late1960s in the united states at a moment of tremendous political and cultural conflict, labeling theorists brought to center stage the role of government agencies, and social processes in general, in the creation of deviance and crime. Those who follow the labeling theory of criminology ascribe to the fact that an individual will become what he is labeled or what others expect him to become. Criminology is an interdisciplinary field in the behavioral sciences, drawing especially upon the research of sociologists, psychologists, psychiatrists. In 1966, labeling theory was first applied to the term mentally ill when thomas scheff published being mentally ill. Labeling theory and radical criminology labeling theory and. 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. From the time of tannenbaum 1938, lemert 1951 up to becker 1963, the labeling theory has been described as the dramatization of evil and the description of the concept of self.
Edwin lemerts 1951 version of labeling theory is emblematic of this. Such a synthesis of labeling theory and personal construct theory will not only go a long way towards answering the major criticisms leveled against labeling theory but will provide a multivariable theory of criminal behavior, one which can take both subjective and objective factors into consideration. Labeling theory posted on january 28, 20 march 3, 2020 by redecomposition looking into theories of academic criminology what caught my attention is that it overlaps so much with sociology and even psychiatry as they all deal with deviants, deviancy and deviant behavior aka something that is rejected by society as abnormal. In his article becker defines deviance as being created by society. Labeling theory argues that, from a sociological perspective, what counts is this designation. Labeling theory recognizes that criminality is a disease or pathological behavior c. Thomas, charles horton cooley, and herbert blumer, among others. Under what circumstances is the label types of people and insufficient attention to the of a deviant successfully applied. Theory treats such labels as both dependent variable effect and independent variable cause. Labeling theory and symbolic interaction theory in the early 20th century, the chicago school of sociology transformed the landscape of sociology and set the standard for future criminologists. The first as well as one of the most prominent labeling theorists was howard becker, who published his groundbreaking work.
Critics of labelling theory have attacked with both theoretical arguments and empirical evidence. Evaluation of labeling theory an important theory that can be used to explain criminal behavior is labeling theory. Most of the time people internalize social norms because of their attachments to others. Labeling theory holds that deviance is not inherent in an act, but instead focuses on the tendency of majorities to negatively label minorities or those. Demons are persons the untold truth about demons very powerful duration. Scheff challenged common perceptions of mental illness by claiming that mental illness is evident as a result of societal influence. Hirschi travis hirschi developed social control theory to explain the occurrence of deviance. The contribution of the labelling theory to our understanding of crime and deviancy we can call a label, or define it as. Labelling theory is a result of the work of howard becker.
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. Criminology is an interdisciplinary field in both the behavioural and social sciences. Originating in howard beckers work in the 1960s, labeling theory explains why peoples behavior clashes with social norms. As such, behaviours become deviant when those that are conforming to the norms attach labels to those that are not conforming. Labeling theory is also connected to other fields besides crime. In the 1970s i published misunderstanding labelling perspectives in d. 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. The effects of labeling and stereotype threat on offender. Criminology study guide labeling theory labeling theory focuses on formal and informal application of stigmatizing and deviant labels, by society on some of its members. Pdf over the past decade, reports of cybercrime have soared across the globe. Beckers labeling theory tannenbaum, lemert, and kitsuse had discussed important concepts in labeling and stigmatization, but the labeling approach was more systematically refined with the work of becker 1963 on societal outsiders.
Crossref derral cheatwood, the contributions of labeling studies to criminology, journal of crime and justice, 9, 1, 111, 1986. The theory labeling theory holds that on some occasion everybody shows behavior that can be called deviant. For various reasons, only certain people are labeled as deviant because of this behavior. At different times in my life, i had the labels of boy scout, blood donor, college dropout, husband, and so on. Two primary lines of inquiry came from this school. This paper will discuss the labeling theory with respect to crime. Gary becker, crime and punishment, in journal of political economy, vol. Popularity labeling theory was popular in the 1960s and early 1970s. The labeling theory in criminology studies is the social thought of symbolic interactionism as to the individuals interpretation and reaction to the response of the label. Criminology from latin crimen, accusation, and ancient greek, logylogia, from logos meaning.