Labelling Theories Becker

Question 1

What did Becker do?

Answer 1

carried out a study of labelling based on interviews with 60 Chicago high school teacher

Question 2

What did Becker find from his study?

Answer 2

he found that teachers judged pupils according to how closely they fitted the ‘idea pupils’

Question 3

What were key factors that influenced the teachers judgement?

Answer 3

• Pupils work
• Pupils Conduct
• Pupils Appearance

Question 4

How did teachers see children from middle class and working class backgrounds?

Answer 4

• MC as the closest to the ideal pupils

- WC as the furthest away from the ideal pupils as they were badly behaved

Question 5

what did a Study of two English primary school find?

Answer 5

-the ideal pupil varied according to the social class makeup of the school

Question 6

What was the ideal pupil according to Aspen Primary School?

Answer 6

• in the largely working class school where staff had said discipline was a major problem, the ideal pupil was defined as quiet, passive and obedient, children were defined in terms of their behaviour not their ability

Question 7

What was the idea pupil according to Rowan Primary School?

Answer 7

• in the mainly middle class school where there was very few discipline problems, the idea pupil was defined in terms of personality and academic ability