Labelling and Self-fulfilling prophecy Flashcards
1
Q
What is labelling?
A
To attach a meaning to a person E.g. a teacher may label a student a trouble maker.
2
Q
What is self-fulfilling prophecy?
A
A person lives up to the label they are given because it was given.
3
Q
Howard Becker - labelling theory
A
The teacher defines or labels the pupil in a particular way, such as ‘bright’ or ‘dull’, the way a teacher interacts with a student is by the label they have given them, E.g. only asking brighter students to answer harder questions. The pupil may respond accordingly which makes the label true and the prophecy is fulfilled. Becker found from his study that teachers labelled pupils according to how closely they fitted the image of the ‘ideal pupil’
