Labeling theory examines how social definitions and labels can influence identity and behavior. This lesson introduces the theory’s central claim and the early thinkers whose work shaped it.
Labeling theory shifts attention from an act itself to the social response to that act. A behavior is not automatically deviant in every context; it becomes defined as deviant when people or institutions apply rules and sanctions to it. The groups with greater social power often have more influence over which behaviors are treated as unacceptable and who is identified as an outsider.
All flashcards
What is primary deviance in Lemert’s theory?
Initial or relatively minor rule-breaking that does not fundamentally change a person’s self-identity.
What is secondary deviance in Lemert’s theory?
Deviance in which social reaction and a deviant label become significant to a person’s identity and behavior.
How did Becker explain the social creation of deviance?
Groups create rules, identify rule-breakers, and apply labels and sanctions.
What does modified labeling theory examine?
How stigma and expectations of rejection affect people diagnosed with mental disorders.
What is a master status?
A category that dominates how others interpret a person’s roles and characteristics.
Quiz questions
In Becker’s account, what helps create deviance?Answer: Groups make rules, identify rule-breakers, and apply labels.
For Lemert, what characterizes secondary deviance?Answer: A person incorporates a deviant label into identity after social reaction.
What identity-management strategy did Goffman describe?Answer: A person may conceal a stigmatized characteristic in some settings.
How did Scheff’s account differ from Gove’s explanation of mental illness?Answer: Scheff emphasized social influence; Gove emphasized behavior as the basis of perceptions.
Why might diversion fit a labeling-theory approach to youth justice?Answer: It can limit formal processing that might make a deviant identity more prominent.
Based on the Wikipedia article Labeling theory, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.