Labeling Theory and Its Impact Essay - 1360 Words

Introduction: Have you ever experienced a time when your parents called you a genius and you truly felt like one? How about when a professor pointed fingers at you because he thought you were cheating on a test? Most certainly you felt some type of shame or guilt; or probably got so tired of your colleagues negative thoughts that you decided to embrace it and just go along with it. These are just a few examples of the impact that people’s opinions or thoughts can have on your reputation. Think for a second about the Stanford Prison Experiment, which demonstrates the influential role that a situation can play in human behavior. The individuals chosen to perform as guards were placed in a position of power and thus they began†¦show more content†¦Labeling theorists suggest that labeling individuals as deviant has the potential of becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy (Globokar, 2008). Howard Becker has described deviance as a â€Å"consequence of the application by others of rules and sanctions to an ‘offender’; the deviant is one to whom the label has successfully been applied; deviant behavior is behavior people so label† (Clinard Meier, 2011:89). Culture, sex, age and other elements of identity all shape self-conception, but the meanings that an individual places on various circumstances and interactions certainly play a very important role as well. It becomes difficult to normally interact with others once there is a negative impact of an individual’s reputation and the conception and expectations of others reinforces that reputation. I am very familiar with the effect that labeling can have on a person. My uncle in Cuba is a great example of what labeling can do to your persona. I grew up very close to him and remember always going on trips and he would play around with all the time; to me he was the greatest uncle in the world. One day I heard a comment that slipped out of the mouth of some friends and they referred to my uncle as a â€Å"thief† or â€Å"ratero†. It appeared that my uncle due to the need of food decided to â€Å"borrow† a chicken from a neighbor’s backyard; got caught and from there he obtained a new reputation. IShow MoreRelatedTaking a Look at the Labeling Theory909 Words   |  4 Pages The labeling theory is one of the critical perspective sociological theories of crime . Labeling theory was the first of the critical perspectives and like the other critical perspectives, it considers defining crime, as well as applying a label to those who commit what is defined as a crime to be problematic. Among the issues addressed by labeling theory are defining deviance based on primary deviance through implementing a label on the offender, discrimination by formal institutions, as well asRead MoreSociological Theory Of Labelization967 Words   |  4 Pageseffect on self-perspective. The labeling theory was built on deviant behaviors; consequently, certain individuals are labeled for their behavior. The labeling theory occurs in everyday life through the act of labelization. This topic can be defined when labels are placed on certain individuals based on the individuals actions, views, or way of life. Labelization has existed throughout history and has been an evident stimulator in life, causing no surprise that labeling is the most influential motivatorRead MoreThe Sociological Perspective On Medical Conditions1687 Words   |  7 Pagesthe external influences, rather than then internal influences, such as the social environment, institutions, and relationships to assess and explain illness. The sociological perspective contains the following theories to support its assessment of illness and they are: stigma, labeling theory, and medicalization. These three concepts play a large role in the sociological perspective. According to Freund, stigma is a discrediting label that changes the way an individual is viewed by their society (Freund)Read MoreThe Concept Of Labeling Of Juvenile Delinquents By Members Of Their Society1733 Words   |  7 Pages5 DB 1 The Interactionist Approach We are beginning to see more than often, labeling of juvenile delinquents by members of their society. The term labeling theory explains how labeling tends to applied members of society, whether it is formally or informally, and the type of effect these labeling can have on juveniles and deterrence. Akers Sellers, (2009), Bernard, Snipes, Gerould, (2010), states that the labeling theorists assert that society creates deviance by creating laws, and they tendRead MoreLabeling Theory And Self Identity1155 Words   |  5 PagesLabeling theory holds that individuals come to identify and act as per their labels. The major tenet of this theory is that the behavior and self-identity of individuals is affected by the way they are described by other people (Vold, Bernard, Snipes, Gerould, 2016). According to this theory, the act of deviance is not implicit in a particular act, but is hedged on the inclination of the majority to ascribe labels to minorities in society who deviate from stan dard behavior. Labeling leads to dramatizationRead MoreAbstract . The Labeling Theory Proposes That Once A Juvenile1582 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract The labeling theory proposes that once a juvenile has been labeled a deviant or delinquent they become stigmatized as a criminal, and begin to believe the label or accept it in a self-fulfilling prophecy. Because of these labels, many juveniles continue with their deviant acts because they feel obligated to act out in a negative manner. Sociologists Tannenbaum, Becker, Lement are more interested in the reaction to the crime, not the cause of the crime, and have theorized that once anRead MoreLabeling Offenders Within The Criminal Justice1551 Words   |  7 Pagesparadigm that supports the use of labeling offenders within the criminal justice is cleverly, labeling theory. Mentioned lightly above, was the premise behind labeling theory. This theoretical paradigm is predominantly interesting in exploring labeling of offenders, due to the fact that it both targets the offenders, as well as the individuals who are placing labels or stigmatizing the offenders in the first place based of f the perceived deviant action. Labeling theory is truly prevalent, and is stillRead MoreSocial And Social Structure Theory1675 Words   |  7 PagesStructure Theory Introduction The social structure theory deliberates delinquency as a gathering of the person’s dealings with numerous groups, organizations, and process in the society. Any person irrespective of their prominence in life is likely to become delinquents if they continue with negative social affiliations. Every aspect of the society, social and economic must be viewed using the social structure theories to find the cause of crime and deviance. The social structure theories consist ofRead MoreRelationship Between Police Intervention And Juvenile Delinquency1459 Words   |  6 Pagesamplification. There are two main theories that initiate America’s juvenile justice system: labeling and deterrence. Essentially, labeling proponents believe that official intervention increases delinquency and, oppositely, deterrence theorists argue that it cracks down on deviancy. Wiley et al. (2016:283) want to â€Å"inform this debate by examining the effect of being stopped or arrested on subsequent delinquent behavior and attitudes†. They hypothesize their results to reflect labeling theorists because delinquencyRead MoreWhy Should People Commit Crime And Labeling Theory From A Sociological Perspective1743 Words   |  7 Pagesare two theories that are in debate, anomie-strain theory, and labeling theory. In this essay, I am going to compare and contrast the two theories and explain how tattooing has become a stigma in today s society. I am going to discuss three similarity views; first they share ties with social strain in deviance, by the way, society is structured. Second, they both deal with crime among minority group as well as crime rates in the United States. Third, both anomie-strain and labeling theory focus on