It is this latter form of deviance that enabled Labeling theory to gain such immense popularity in the 1960's, forcing criminologists to reconsider how large a part Labelling theory supports the idea of radical non-interventionism, in which policy dictates that certain acts are decriminalised and the removal of the social stigmata surrounding the acts. Labeling theorists specify two types of categories when investigating the implications of labeling: formal and informal labels. One of the other drawbacks also mentions the aspect of self-labelling. This theory explains that deviance is not an individuals or groups character but instead the result of how criminality is interpreted by society. Justice Quarterly, 6(3), 359-394. This can cause problems. It also attempts to understand how and why labelling has such a powerful impact on the rest of society. Journal of research in crime and delinquency, 31(4), 416-433. var domainroot="www.simplypsychology.org" 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. By clicking Proceed, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy. The labeling of convicted felons and its consequences for recidivism. Charlotte Nickerson is a member of the Class of 2024 at Harvard University. Using this essay writing service is legal and is not prohibited by any university/college policies. Tannenbaum (1938) is widely regarded as the first labelling theorist. Labelling theory is the theory that the public act in the way that society has labelled them, which gives negative connotations towards that person. Labeling theory. The labeling perspective and delinquency: An elaboration of the theory and an assessment of the evidence. shows that law discriminates against certain people. Bernburg, J. G. Chapter title: Labeling and Secondary Deviance. Formal and Informal Labeling In spite of these, the major drawback of the labelling theory is the lack of empirical data to support it. He said that in tribes where good oratory skills were not expected, there was no negative reaction and hence there was no deviance of the above type. Gove also said that even if labeling theorists argue that those labeled as mentally ill are not different from the others who are not labeled, evidence suggests that there is a genetic component differentiating them. The last drawback of the labelling theory is that the personality of the individual matters. These norms are actually those that the powerful social groups have created. Group process and gang delinquency: University of Chicago Press Chicago. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40220048. Labeling theory is associated with the work of Becker and is a reaction to sociological theories which examined only the characteristics of the deviants, rather than the agencies which controlled them. London: OUP Oxford. Developmental theories of crime and delinquency, 7, 133-161. Labelling theory supports the idea of radical non-interventionism, in which policy dictates that certain acts are decriminalised and the removal of the social stigmata surrounding the acts. 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. Matsueda, R. L. (1992). Although in most cases secondary deviance will be accomplished in which the person accepts the label of criminal and begins to associate with similarly branded people, losing contact with friends who conform to societies rules (Becker, 1963 cited in Labelling Theory). The following strengths and weaknesses apply to the classical conditioning theory and behaviorism as a whole (Kompa, 2020). This is the most debated part of the labelling theory brought about by him. Copyright 2023 CustomWritings. 3 Pages. ignores the victims of the crime. Intervention may make things worse. Therefore Becker says that personal motives and the influence by society has nothing to do with criminal behaviour. He noticed that in some tribes, stuttering occurred among their members and their language mentioned stuttering. Howard Becker is an American sociologist who produced Outsiders in 1963 that talks about the Sociology of Deviance. (Sherman and Smith, 1992). History has shown that society has and will change to accept criminal behaviour or to make legal behaviour illegal. In the early times, it was illegal. Briar, S., & Piliavin, I. 24-31): Routledge. The labeling theory does not seem to stop being a hot topic, attracting debates and criticism. It tends to be deterministic, implying that once someone is labeled, a deviant career is inevitable. This approach to delinquency from the perspective of role-taking stems from Briar and Piliavin (1965), who found that boys who are uncommitted to conventional structures for action can be incited into delinquency by other boys. Social control: An introduction: Polity.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[728,90],'simplypsychology_org-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_10',863,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-simplypsychology_org-large-mobile-banner-1-0'); if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'simplypsychology_org-leader-3','ezslot_23',864,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-simplypsychology_org-leader-3-0');Dunford, F. W., Huizinga, D., & Elliott, D. S. (1990). Erwin Lemert is credited with being the founder of what is called the "Societal Reaction" theory. Although in most cases secondary deviance will be accomplished in which the person accepts the label of criminal and begins to associate with similarly branded people, losing contact with friends who conform to societies rules (Becker, 1963 cited in Labelling Theory). It merely states what society currently thinks. There was little consistent empirical evidence for labeling theory (the evidence that did exist was methodologically flawed), and critics believed that labeling theory was vague, simplistic and ideologically motivated. This theory is widely credited to be the forerunner of the present day labelling theory. Labelling can therefore be viewed within at least two contexts. In Deviance & Liberty (pp. Plummer, K (1979). In the early times, it was illegal. He or she is then labelled criminal but has yet to accept the label. Mental patient status, work, and income: An examination of the effects of a psychiatric label. 59 (3), 235-242.v. Some studies found that being officially labeled a criminal (e.g. To export a reference to this article please select a referencing stye below: If you are the original writer of this essay and no longer wish to have your work published on LawTeacher.net then please: Our academic writing and marking services can help you! If I'm on a project, I'm going to make sure to stick with it to the bitter, bloody end." Although this might sound like a strength, it's actually a weakness in disguise! The second is known as the Secondary deviance phase. Crime statistics are more a record of the activities of control agents than of criminals. is a consequence of external 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. Journal of research in crime and delinquency, 33(3), 324-332. The word home can mean warmth and family to a non-deviant juvenile. 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. The theory of labeling was originated from Howard . Ian and Christian are males who love each other and want to get married. It is applied to education in relation to teachers applying labels on their pupils in terms of their ability, potential or behaviour. Firstly, according to Wellford (1975) the theory states that no acts are inherently criminal, and states that acts are only criminal when society considers them to be so. 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. The level of stigmatization an individual gets varies on whether or not he cares about his label. This effect is so profound that Becker states that individuals with this label begin to be associated with the word criminal. All their other associations and labels such as that of parent, employee, and so on take a back seat. However, when those who were arrested were employed, the arrest had a deterrent effect (Bernburg, 2009). - Critics doubt the existence of an unconscious mind how . can t use carpenter's workbench skyrim; how long does it take a rat to starve to death; cowboy hat making supplies; why would i get a letter from circuit clerk Thus the quality of deviance does not reside in the behaviour itself, but is rather the outcome of responses to that behaviour by various social audiences (Tierney). It was through his work as a musician Becker first became exposed to drug culture, which he would later study. Those are that society changes, and so does labelling. Labeling theory recognizes that labels will vary depending on the culture, time period, and situation. This can cause problems. Take a look at some weird laws from around the world! Bernburg, J. G., Krohn, M. D., & Rivera, C. J. Link, B. G., & Phelan, J. C. (2001). They will label her as a deviant since her behavior violates the social norms. Them being a same-sex couple is not considered to be a deviant role. Formal labels are labels ascribed to an individual by someone who has the formal status and ability to discern deviant behavior. Info: 2729 words (11 pages) Essay Labelling theory - weakness. The object of whether a person views himself or herself as a criminal is what differentiates between the primary and secondary deviant phases. Thus, labels denoting categories of deviation are a manifestation of the structure of power in society. Crime Causation: Sociological Theories Labeling Theory. Becker proposed that criminal behaviour is dynamic in nature and changes throughout time. Thus as shown in the above essay, labelling theory has many strengths and weaknesses. He therefore suggested that the actual act is impertinent to the theory. 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. As deviant labeling is stigmatizing, those with deviant labels can be excluded from relationships with non-deviant people and from legitimate opportunities. In the case of employed domestic violence suspects, the formal label of abuser and a threatened felony conviction may have severely costly implications for the future of their career; however, for those who are unemployed, this threat is less amplified. Goffman believes an individual is an actor, and society is the stage. He pointed out that deviance was created entirely on the whims of authority. I am interested in labeling theory. American Sociological Review, 609-627. This theory is widely credited to be the forerunner of the present day labelling theory. This is the precursor to the social reaction or labeling theory which has present day acceptance and includes many of the same concepts. In those societies, soft drugs and their users are accepted and are not labelled as deviant or criminal. Teachers were observed to make a working hypothesis about the student. Criminology, 28(2), 183-206. One of the most important approaches to understanding the nature of crime is called the labeling theory. His main concept was the dramatization of evil. Those labeled as criminals or deviants regardless of whether this label was ascribed to them on virtue of their past acts or marginalized status experience attitudes of stigma and negative stereotyping from others. Well done! 111): Chicago University of Chicago Press. An example to this would be the issue of homosexuality. The daily mail ran an article which stated that some people were more likely to smoke if they saw Smoking Kills on it. Other tribes however had no mention of stuttering in their language and had no members of their tribes stuttering. fails to explain why deviant behaviour happens. In 1981 and 1982, the Minneapolis Police Department conducted an experiment to determine the effect of arresting domestic violence suspects on subsequent behavior (Sherman and Berk, 1984). to the labeled person. Labelling theorists studied the various interactions between the 'criminal' groups and individuals and the conformist society. Criminology, 41(4), 1287-1318. Labelling also involves both a wrong or deviant act and a deviant person. Gouldner (1968) argued that labelling theorists made the individual look innocent by the application of labels by control agents such as the police and society. The effect of labelling theory on juvenile behaviour is a bit more pronounced and clear. Walter Grove on the other hand was vehemently opposed to the theory proposed by Thomas Scheff. All rights reserved. When individuals have little social support from conventional society, they can turn to deviant groups, where having a deviant label is accepted. Researchers, such as Matsueda (1992), have clarified how labeling leads to deviance, particularly when this labeling is informa, and these findings have been more replicable than those in the past. This finding which implies that formal labeling only increases deviance in specific situations is consistent with deterrence theory. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Its understanding is fundamental for those who wish to receive profound knowledge in many fields, including sociology and criminology. Available: http://law.jrank.org/pages/817/Crime-Causation-Sociological-Theories-Labeling-theory.html#ixzz0cziNc0ZO. Becker, H. (1953). Secondly is the process of self-labelling. al., 1989). Lemert could not establish a clear reason as to why that was so. He goes on to say that the murderer may have a conscience which will cause him to label himself or herself as a murderer. Annual review of Sociology, 27(1), 363-385. Chiricos, T., Barrick, K., Bales, W., & Bontrager, S. (2007). As a result, those from lower-classes and minority communities are more likely to be labeled as criminals than others, and members of these groups are likely to be seen by others as associated with criminality and deviance, regardless of whether or not they have been formally labeled as a criminal. . Strengths Results can be reliably reproduced. Becker proposed that criminal behaviour is dynamic in nature and changes throughout time. The smoking of marijuana is another example, although it is illegal in most of the societies and nations it is now slowly being tolerated in some and even being legalised in others. Chriss, J. J. In: BECKER, Howard. Becker (1953) wrote in his book, the Marijuana user, that the drug does not produce any addiction and that it has no withdraw sickness or any sort of substance that makes the user crave for the drug. the individuals self-concept and Labelling theory is one of the main parts of social action, or interactionist theory, which seeks to understand human action by looking at micro-level processes, looking at social life through a microscope, from the ground-up. 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). Hewett, Norfolk. But now, homosexuality is an accepted fact in society and there are little or fewer stigmas and or labelling attached to it.