Evaluate The Labelling Theory Of Crime

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The labelling theory is based on the idea of giving a name or labelling a person or a set of individuals for their actions for instance, an individual who has breached the law, will be known as a criminal according to the society. Labelling separates the normal people and the people that have committed deviant action as well as criminals. Frank Tannenbaum who was a labelling theorist had his own theory called the ‘dramatization of evil’. He believed that if an individual is labelled as a criminal, then eventually he or she will become one. He thinks that by emphasising the traits, it will encourage it, for instance a female, who hangs out with her friend who is a part of a gang, the female will most likely be labelled as gang member, and she will sooner or later become one. The individuals that have been labelled has an effect on the individuals self concept. A major strength is that it …show more content…

It just explains primary deviance is when going against the norm but not being stigmatised as being labelled. The labelling theory conforms the deviance behaviour instead of curing it, for instance a man with personality disorder, will be labelled as mental, so the society will admit him to the mental hospital, so the man will eventually think that he is mental and will think that for the rest of the time. So instead of helping him cure his mental disorder, they will just place him with the rest of the individual with mental illness according to the society. Overall the labelling theory just shows the negative side to the justice system and how labelling has a huge impact. However it does not include anything about who has the power to label, who can apply the label, who doesn’t have the power to label, or what is the power behind

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