The Implications of Labelling Theory and how It Affects Individuals

1254 Words3 Pages

The main focus of the essay will be the implications of labelling theory and how it affects individuals. It also will be focusing on the creation of particular categories of criminals when labelling theory is applied, in addition it will outline what labelling theory is, how it affects people and how it effects the creation of criminal categories. The purpose of this essay is to allow a better understanding of labelling theory and its implication on creating criminal categories. Labelling theory outlines the sociological approach towards labelling within societies and in the development of crime and deviance (Gunnar Bernburg, and D. Krohn et al., 2014, pp. 69-71). The theory purposes that, when an individual is given a negative label (that is deviant), then the individual pursues their new (deviant) label / identity and acts in a manner that is expected from him/her with his/ her new label (Asencio and Burke, 2011, pp. 163-182). Labelling theory was acknowledged and more commonly known during 1960’s yet towards the 1980’s it was seen as less supportive and was being critiqued by other scholars and theorists. One of the reasons to why labelling theory was becoming less supported and critiqued more frequently was due to lack of research being conducted in the field, however in recent years there has been an increased interest in labelling theory and its perspectives (Lopes and Krohn et al., 2012, pp. 457-458). Labelling theory can be broken down in to two different forms, these are - formal and informal labelling, they are both very similar and both have a sociological approach (Adams and Robertson et al., 2003, p. 171). In relation to this labelling theory has three main consequences when applied regardless of if it is formal or ... ... middle of paper ... ...elinquency, 51 (1), pp. 69-71. Hayes, T. A. 2010. Labelling and the Adoption of a Deviant Status. Deviant Behaviour, 31 (3), pp. 282-297. Lopes, G., Krohn, M. D., Lizotte, A. J., Schmidt, N. M., V'Asquez, B. E. and Bernburg, J. G. 2012. Labelling and cumulative disadvantage the impact of formal police intervention on life chances and crime during emerging adulthood. Crime & Delinquency, 58 (3), pp. 457 - 478 Paternoster, R. and Iovanni, L. 1996. The Labelling Perspective and Delinquency: An Elaboration of the Theory and Assessment of the Evidence. In: Cordella, P. and Siege, L. eds. 1996. Readings in Contemporary Criminological Theory. Pennsylvania: The Maple Press Company, p. 180. The Multilevel Research Design. 2002. In: Gillespie, W. eds. 2002. Prisonization: Individual and Institutional Factors Affecting Inmate Conduct. Texas: LFB Scholarly Publishing, pp. 67-68.

Show More
Related

  • Relating the Story of Two Ottawa Valley Teens in Conflict with the Law to Different Sociological Theories

    1283 Words  | 3 Pages

    Youth crime has been a topic of major debate dating back to the 19th century. Laws have been continuously written to fit what society feels is th best way to handle youth in conflict with the law. What people sometimes fail to see is the true cause of there delinquent actions these teens commit these crimesthe focus of this essay is to relate the story of two Ottawa valley teens in conflict with the law to different sociological theories. First I will give a brief summary of the article and then connect it with theories such as cultural conflict, control theory, strain and labelling theory.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Myths, Misfits And Masks

    731 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Labeling theory,” which states that our self-identity and behavior can be altered by the names or terms that people use to describe or classify us. Labeling is using descriptive terms to categorize or classify something or someone. Sometimes these labels can have positive impacts on our life or as Amanat’s mentioned that these labels can limit our full potential to do anything by believing that people’s expectation about us is how we should define ourselves. In doing so, we act against our true nature because we’re trying to live up to others expectations or deny their assumptions.

    Read More

  • Discrimination In The Documentary: A Class Divided

    908 Words  | 2 Pages

    Bohm and Brenda L. Vogel, the Labeling theory is used to explain why people commit crimes and conceive themselves as criminals. Overall the Labeling theory consists of social groups creating rules and then applying those rules to particular people and labeling them as outsiders. This theory is split into two types of deviances: primary deviance and secondary deviance. Primary deviance is the initial criminal act, for example, a man robs a bank. A secondary deviance is committing a crime after the first criminal act and accepting the label of a criminal. Following the previous example, after the man robs the bank, he decides to do it again because he now sees himself as a criminal bank robber and wants to continue doing it and is okay with being seen that

    Read More

  • American Me Analysis

    553 Words  | 2 Pages

    People can easily be judged based on their community, how they dress, how they talk, and who they surround themselves with, it is human nature. There becomes a problem when whole groups of people are labeled as delinquents based on how they are perceived by the rest of society, and they start to be confined to that role. This is the basis of labeling theory described in the book Criminology Goes to the Movies Theory and Popular Culture by Nicole Rafter and Michele Brown as a concept of perception of criminality as a permanent identity of people based on their background. This theory is shown on the movie American Me about the rise of the Mexican mafia, and the influence of its members. The movie presents how Mexican communities have to embrace

    Read More

  • Crime is a contested and complex concept. Discuss

    820 Words  | 2 Pages

    Labelling theory: The theory that the terms crime, deviance, or punishment are labels, variously applied by act of power and not some natural reflection of events – American criminologist Howard Becker

    Read More

  • Gangs in America

    2717 Words  | 6 Pages

    Bernburg, J., Krohn, M. D., & Rivera, C. J. (2006). Official Labeling, Criminal Embeddedness, and Subsequent Delinquency: A Longitudinal Test of Labeling Theory. Journal Of Research In Crime & Delinquency, 43(1), 67-88. doi:10.1177/0022427805280068

    Read More

  • The Scarlet Letter: The Problem with Labeling Other People

    824 Words  | 2 Pages

    As we read the novel, “The Scarlet Letter,” we were acquainted with the manner the Puritan society branded their sinners contingent on the immoralities they have committed. They believed that punishing these sinners by humiliation was the prominent way for them to bear the cost of their debauchery. Resembling this past our present has been subject to this same form of branding and labeling. We judge the way the Puritan society strictly punished its citizens by putting them on scaffolds where they were publicly humiliated. We hypocritically judge this form of punishment when we are practicing these same immoral acts. Although we are not putting them on scaffolds or literally branding people we are causing them the same kind of degradation and bestowing on them labels that will hurt them the same way.

    Read More

  • The Conflict Theory Of Deviance In American History X

    1043 Words  | 3 Pages

    Labeling theory of deviance suggests that when one is labeled constantly on the basis of any minority it gives rise to deviant behavior in order to prove the strength of the minority. The minority has been labeled so by people for a long time. They have been labeled because of their race. The gang is labeled anti-social because of their criminal behavior which turns them further to deviance. The use of the labeling theory can be seen being implemented very judiciously

    Read More

  • A Comparison of Conflict and Labeling Theory in the Context of Youth Gangs

    1544 Words  | 4 Pages

    As mentioned in lecture, labeling theory asks two critical questions: what is crime, and who is criminal? This is the central tenet of labeling theory because the focus is on what activities constitute criminal behaviour within the context. This means that over time, the general perspective changes in regards to what can be labeled 'crime.' For instance, society is known to react negatively towards prostitution in the past; whereas the contemporary reaction is primarily to legalize it.

    Read More

  • Juvenile Homicide: A Search for Acceptance

    890 Words  | 2 Pages

    Tapia, Mike. "U.S. Juvenile Arrests: Gang Membership, Social Class, and Labeling Effects." Youth & Society. Sage Publications, 2010. Web. 16 Jan 2012. .

    Read More

  • Societies and Moral Panic

    3409 Words  | 7 Pages

    their acts as criminal and extending this judgement to them as people. Having been labelled, there is an expectation that this criminality must be expressed. With this attached stereotype, the general population will perceive them to be criminal and treat them accordingly. This produces unanticipated effects: the label of criminal is intended to prevent individuals from participating in criminal activities but it actually creates the very thing it intended to stop. It produces a self-fulfilling prophecy which is defined as a false definition of a situation, evoking a new behaviour that makes the original false assumption come true (Burke, 2005).

    Read More

  • Gattaca

    1385 Words  | 3 Pages

    Label theory is based in the idea that behaviors are irregular when the society labels them as irregular. The label theory implies that a person commits a crime in some time of a life, but that person is not seen as deviant, while other people are deviant. Label theory explains how a behavior of a person conflicts with the norms of the society. For example, A black young men, who lives in a neighborhood controlled by gangs may be labeled as a gang member. In consequence, that young man can start to act as gang member or became one. He incorporates the label that was given to him.

    Read More

  • There Are No Children Here Essay

    2455 Words  | 5 Pages

    Some of the explanations of delinquency insinuates that education, politics, social factors, family issues among others are the main causes of delinquency (Rutter, 2013).Just as these were some of the factors in “There Are No Children Here”. In addition, criminal investigators formulated several theories which explain causes of delinquency. Among them are social factors which are explained through several theories which include Social Reaction Theory also referred to as Labeling theory and Power control

    Read More

  • Labeling Theory

    3342 Words  | 7 Pages

    The theoretical study of societal reaction to deviance has been carried out under different names, such as, labelling theory, interactionist perspective, and the social constructionist perspective. In the sociology of deviance, the labelling theory of deviant behaviour is often used interchangeably with the societal reaction theory of deviancy. As a matter of fact, both phrases point equally to the fact that sociological explanations of deviance function as a product of social control rather than a product of psychology or genetic inheritance. Some sociologists would explain deviance by accepting without question definitions of deviance and concerning themselves with primary aetiology. However, labelling theorists stress the point of seeing deviance from the viewpoint of the deviant individual. They claim that when a person becomes known as a deviant, and is ascribed deviant behaviour patterns, it is as much, if not more, to do with the way they have been stigmatized, then the deviant act they are said to have committed. In addition, Howard S. Becker (1963), one of the earlier interaction theorists, claimed that, "social groups create deviance by making the rules whose infraction constitute deviance, and by applying those rules to particular people and labelling them as outsiders". Furthermore, the labelling theoretical approach to deviance concentrates on the social reaction to deviance committed by individuals, as well as, the interaction processes leading up to the labelling.

    Read More

  • criminology theories

    1368 Words  | 3 Pages

    In conclusion, strain theory focus to those people who commit crime to achieve their goals and labelling theory focuses on those individuals that continue committing crime. There are some solutions that exist for example, when a youth is in conflict with the law there identity is kept secret. However, this solution only works for the youth and not for adult. Therefore, this theory should be discussed further more to fix more solutions.

    Read More

More about The Implications of Labelling Theory and how It Affects Individuals

Open Document