Labelling theory Flashcards
Name Howard Becker’s Paper, and provide an introduction.
No date.
The Process of Labelling
Interactionism is concerned with understanding human behaviour in face-to-face situations and how individuals and situations come to be defined or classified in particular ways, so for example, how do youths wearing a hoodie become to be defined/labelled as deviant and also how society now views those individuals.
What is the objective of Howard Becker’s Labelling Theory?
They are interested in how/why some individuals become labelled in a certain way and also how the consequences of this label can lead to further deviant behaviour.
Give an example of the labelling theory in action.
in a school situation, if a student does not like school, they will act deviantly by not paying attention or by messing around. This therefore leads to a teacher labelling that individual as they have defined/labelled their behaviour, in a school situation, as unacceptable. Following this, the labelled student will then be treated differently because of the label that has been applied to them – they could either play upto their label of being ‘the naughty one’(accepting a label) or change their behaviour to fit into the way that the teacher has defined how a student should behave at school
(negotiate the label). If a student acts in a way that a teacher has labelled them, this will create a self-fulfilling prophecy where the individual is fulfilling the prophecy (prediction) of them by the teacher
What terms are there to remember with Howard Becker’s Labelling Theory?
Defined or Labelled
Labelled individual
Accepting a Label – play up to the label
Negotiate the Label – Change their behaviour
Prediction – The self-fulfilling prophecy where the individual accepts the label and becomes defined by the label.
Master Status – A powerful and controlling label that overrides all other qualities of that individual.
Self-fulfilling Prophecy – Where the label defines the behaviour of the individual.
Subculture – Individuals keeping company with each other of similar labels.
Deviant Career – encouragement of further deviance.
Resist – Wanting to prove those who have labelled them wrong.
Recall information from Goffman’s 1961 study into the power of labels at a mental hospital.
Goffman (1961) conducted an ethnographic study of inmates in a mental hospital in USA. Within these institutions, Goffman believed that they would breakdown an individual’s sense of self through a process of ‘mortification’ – where they are stripped, given a common uniform to wear and referred to by a serial number.
The institution was destroying individuality. The institution then attempted to rebuild the sense of ‘self’ with its own collective image. Goffman noted that some inmates went along with this and became completely institutionalised, feeling that they could not exist in the outside world - thus creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.
However, some others rejected this and although they gave the impression that they were conforming to the institution, they actually hung onto their individuality.
Goffman’s work demonstrates that the sense of ‘self’ and ‘self-esteem’ can be very resilient and the labelling of one person on another doesn’t have to be a one-way process as individuals may actually resist the definitions/labels of the powerful.
Does Goffman agree or disagree with the notion of A Label?
No.
Goffman’s work demonstrates that the sense of ‘self’ and ‘self-esteem’ can be very resilient and the labelling of one person on another doesn’t have to be a one-way process as individuals may actually resist the definitions/labels of the powerful.
List two key points of Labelling.
- They offer useful insights into the significance of interactions with others in the process of developing our social identity
- They avoid the determinism of structuralist views.
Is Howard Becker an Interactionist or a Determinist?
Becker, despite being an interactionist, has been accused of ‘determinism’. Although he acknowledges that some people are able to resist negative labels, the concept of the self-filling prophecy appears to offer other individuals little active choice.
What is the Marxist argument about Labelling?
Marxists argue that the Labelling theory fails to account for the wider structures that exist in society – such as it ignores power. By doing so, the Labelling Theory fails to recognise who has the power in defining who is deviant.
What is Akers’ view on Labelling?
Date
Akers (1967) – There must be some reasons why some people get labelled and others do not. Akers argues against the idea that deviants are perfectly normal people who are no different from anyone else. Labelling theory – until it can explain this – is an incomplete theory.
It assumes that an act isn’t deviant until it becomes by others.
1967.
