Sociology 3315
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
UMD
LABELING THEORY ALSO CALLED SOCIETAL REACTION THEORY


THIS IS A DIRECT DESCENDENT OF SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM
  1. THE BASIS OF SOCIETY IS HUMAN INTERACTION, STRUCTURE IS MERELY PATTERNED INTERACTION

  2. TO UNDERSTAND HUMAN BEHAVIOR ONE NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND INTERACTION NOT REIFIED SOCIAL STRUCTURE, EXCEPT AS A BYPRODUCT OF HUMAN INTERACTION

  3. THE PRIMARY PRODUCT OF HUMAN INTERACTION IS SOCIAL MEANING, HUMANS LEARN THE MEANING OF ALL ASPECTS OF REALITY FROM OTHERS

  4. PEOPLE COME TO DEFINE THEMSELVES ACCORDING TO HOW OTHERS PERCEIVE THEM, THIS IS THE LOOKING GLASS SELF --
    JOHN HORTON COOLY


  5. GEORGE HERBERT MEAD DISCUSSED THE PROCESSES AND STAGES THROUGH WHICH INDIVIDUALS GO THOUGH IN DEVELOPING A SENSE OF SELF




LABELING THEORY: AN OVERVIEW

  1. THE APPLICATION OF SYMBOLIC INTERACTION TO THE STUDY OF DEVIANCE FOCUSES ON THE PROCESS BY WHICH THE SOCIAL AUDIENCE CREATES DEVIANCE AND DEVIANTS BY SO DEFINING THE ACTS AND THE ACTORS THAT WAY

  2. A PROCESS OF TRANSFERENCE TAKES PLACE BETWEEN THE ACT AND THE ACTOR, THE LABEL IS EASILY TRANSFERRED FROM ONE TO THE OTHER --
    FRANK TANNENBAUM, CRIME AND COMMUNITY, 1938 (THE DRAMATIZATION OF EVIL).


  3. THE LABEL IS CONNECTED TO THE CONDUCT NORMS AND THE BEHAVIOR BUT THE CONNECTION IS A VERY LOSE ONE -- HOWARD S. BECKER

  4. CHANGE FROM PRIMARY TO SECONDARY DEVIANCE, CHANGE IN IDENTITY OF THE DEVIANT -- EDWIN M. LEMERT

  5. NOT ALL PEOPLE IN THE POSITION TO PROJECT A LABEL WILL HAVE THE SAME IMPACT ON INDIVIDUALS, SOME PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO APPLY A LABEL AND HAVE IT STICK, THESE PEOPLE BECKER CALLS MORAL ENTREPRENEURS.

  6. HARMFUL AFFECTS OF THE LABEL -- CAREER DEVIANCE.

  7. LABELING THEORIES ARE NOT CONCERNED WITH FIRST TIME OFFENDERS, NOR SHOULD SOCIETY -- IT IS THE PERSON WHO SUSTAINS THAT LIFE-STYLE THAT NEEDS ATTENTION.
LABELING THEORY: SOME SPECIFICS

FRANK TANNENBAUM: THE DRAMATIZATION OF EVIL

I. CONFLICT BETWEEN DELINQUENT AND COMMUNITY

A. WHEN AN ACT IS COMMITTED THERE EXIST DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS OF THE SITUATION

B. VALUES MAY NOT BE THE SAME, DIFFERENT EMPHASIS, ETC.

C. COMMUNITY DEFINES THE ACT ONE WAY, THE JUVENILE DEFINES IT ANOTHER

D. SHIFT OF LABEL FROM ACT TO ACTOR

"THE YOUNG DELINQUENT BECOMES BAD BECAUSE HE [SHE] IS DEFINED AS BAD AND BECAUSE HE [SHE] IS NOT BELIEVED IF HE [SHE] IS GOOD."

E. EVERYTHING SEEMS TO WORK TO DEFINE THE YOUTH IN NEGATIVE TERMS

F. THIS DEFINITION IS BUILT UP OVER TIME AND REINFORCES THROUGH INTERACTIONS WITH OTHERS

G. WHAT MAY HAVE STARTED AS A SIMPLE PROBLEM HAS TURNED SOUR,

TANNENBAUM BELIEVES THAT IT IS OFTEN SOCIETY OR THE INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE THE PROBLEM, TRYING TO MAKE EVERYONE FIT

H. THE YOUTH TURNS TO A GROUP THAT OFFERS ALTERATIVE VALUES, HABITS, INTERESTS, AND ATTITUDES - THE GANG

II. GANGS BECOME THE IMPORTANT SOCIETAL REFERENCE POINT FOR THE YOUTH NOW; ATTEMPTS TO MESS WITH IT ONLY CREATES MORE PROBLEMS

A. ONLY ONE OR A FEW YOUTH ARE CAUGHT WHEN A GANG DOES SOMETHING WRONG

B. THIS SINGLES OUT ONE FOR ATTENTION

THE YOUTH ENTERS A WHOLE NEW WORLD THAT OTHERS DON'T EXPERIENCE, THE C.J. SYSTEM

"THE BOY, NO DIFFERENT FROM THE REST OF HIS GANG, SUDDENLY BECOMES THE CENTER OF A MAJOR DRAMA..."

C. WHAT USE TO BE JUST FUN, THINGS EVERYBODY YOU HUNG WITH DID, ARE NOW PRESENTED TO YOU IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT, YOU ARE BAD

III. THE DRAMATIZATION OF EVIL

A. THIS FIRST LABEL IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANY OTHER EXPERIENCE IN MAKING THE CRIMINAL

"THE PROCESS OF MAKING THE CRIMINAL, THEREFORE, IS A PROCESS OF TAGGING, DEFINING, IDENTIFYING, SEGREGATING, DESCRIBING, EMPHASIZING, MAKING CONSCIOUS AND SELF-CONSCIOUS; IT BECOMES A WAY OF STIMULATING, SUGGESTING, EMPHASIZING, AND EVOKING THE VERY TRAITS THAT ARE COMPLAINED OF."

B. THE YOUTH BECOMES WHAT HE/SHE IS DESCRIBED AS BEING

C. IT DOES NOT MATTER THE INTENTION OF THE LABEL, PUNISHMENT OR HELP; IT STILL HAS THE SAME EFFECT!!

IV. WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

A. "THE WAY OUT IS THROUGH A REFUSAL TO DRAMATIZE THE EVIL. THE LESS SAID ABOUT IT THE BETTER. THE MORE SAID ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE, STILL BETTER."
RADICAL NON-INTERVENTION?

B. FOCUS ON THE GROUP; MUST CHANGE ATTITUDES; PUNISHMENT DOES NOT CHANGE CHARACTER

V. IN SUM

A. THE SOCIAL AUDIENCE CREATES DEVIANCE AND DEVIANTS BY SO DEFINING THE ACTS AND THE ACTORS THAT WAY

B. A PROCESS OF TRANSFERENCE TAKES PLACE, THE LABEL IS EASILY TRANSFERRED FROM ACT TO ACTOR

C. THE LABEL RELATES TO THE CONDUCT NORMS AND THE BEHAVIOR BUT THE CONNECTION IS A VERY LOSE ONE

EDWIN M. LEMERT
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY DEVIATION

I. DEVIANT PEOPLE ARE A PRODUCT OF "DIFFERENTIATING AND ISOLATING PROCESSES"

A. PERSONALITY CHANGES MAY BE QUICK OR GRADUAL

ACTIONS BUILD UP OVER TIME WHICH OFTEN LEAD TO A "RESERVE POTENTIALITIES"

BUT, SOMETIMES TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES CAN LEAD TO QUICK AND DRAMATIC CHANGES IN IDENTITY

"SELF-DEFINITIONS OR SELF-REALIZATIONS ARE LIKELY TO BE THE RESULT OF SUDDEN PERCEPTIONS AND THEY ARE ESPECIALLY SIGNIFICANT WHEN THEY ARE FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY OVERT DEMONSTRATIONS OF THE NEW ROLE THEY SYMBOLIZE."

SELF-DEFINING JUNCTURES

II. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY DEVIATION

A. ORIGINAL AND EFFECTIVE CAUSES


ORIGINAL CAUSES ARE ALMOST ANYTHING, MANY AND DIVERSE

BEHAVIORS ARE NOT SIGNIFICANT SOCIOLOGICALLY UNTIL THEY ARE "ORGANIZED SUBJECTIVELY AND TRANSFORMED INTO ACTIVE ROLES AND BECOME THE SOCIAL CRITERIA FOR ASSIGNING STATUS."

ONE MUST BEGIN TO BECOME CONSCIOUS OF THEIR MOTIVES AND ACTIONS AND ORIENT THEIR BEHAVIOR ON THOSE CONSCIOUS IDENTIFICATIONS


B. "THE DEVIATIONS REMAIN PRIMARY DEVIATIONS OR SYMPTOMATIC AND SITUATIONAL AS LONG AS THEY ARE RATIONALIZED OR OTHERWISE DEALT WITH AS FUNCTIONS OF A SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE ROLE."

C. COMMITTING BEHAVIOR AND BEING LABELED MAY BE NEUTRALIZED, BY THE

IS LIKELY TO TRANSFORM OR INCORPORATE THIS NEW DEFINITION INTO THE "ME" OR, WHAT AMOUNTS TO THE SAME THING, A CHANGE IN THE CONCEPTION OF SELF OCCURS

D. "WHEN A PERSON BEGINS TO EMPLOY HIS {HER} DEVIANT BEHAVIOR ARE A ROLE BASED UPON IT AS A MEANS OF DEFENSE, ATTACK, OR ADJUSTMENT TO THE OVERT AND COVERT PROBLEMS CREATED BY THE CONSEQUENT SOCIETAL REACTION TO HIM {HER}, HIS {HER} DEVIATION IS SECONDARY."

E. THE PROBLEM IS MORE SEVER WHEN DEFINITIONS BECOME GENERALIZED; OPTIONS FOR BEHAVIOR BECOME LIMITED



HOWARD S. BECKER: CAREER DEVIANCE

I. NOT CONCERNED WITH PRIMARY DEVIANCE BUT WITH SECONDARY DEVIANCE

II. HOW DOES ONE DEVELOP DEVIANT MOTIVES AND INTERESTS,
ONE LEARNS TO PARTAKE IN THE SUBCULTURE, E.G. SMOKING AND ENJOYING MARIJUANA,


III. LABELING THAT EFFECTS THE CHANGE TO SECONDARY DEVIANCE MAY BE BROUGHT ON BY OTHERS IN A PROCESS, BY SELF DEFINITION, OR BY PSYCHOLOGICAL DESIRES TO BE CAUGHT, DOES NOT MATTER AT THIS POINT

IV. MASTER AND AUXILIARY STATUS

A. MASTER STATUS IS THE KEY TRAIT THAT IDENTITIES US,

B. EACH MASTER STATUS HAS AUXILIARY ONES THE WE EXPECT TO FIND,

C. WE ALSO HAVE OTHER SUBORDINATE STATUSES

D. SOMETIMES THEY DON'T FIT

E. SAME HOLDS TRUE FOR A DEVIANT MASTER STATUS AND ASSUMED AUXILIARY ONES

"THUS, APPREHENSION FOR ONE DEVIANT ACT EXPOSES A PERSON TO THE LIKELIHOOD THAT HE WILL BE REGARDED AS DEVIANT OR UNDESIRABLE IN OTHER RESPECTS."

ALICE'S RESTAURANT

F. SUBORDINATING ALL OTHER STATUSES TO THE MASTER STATUS IS A PROBLEM "TREATING A PERSON AS THOUGH HE WERE GENERALLY RATHER THAN SPECIFICALLY DEVIANT PRODUCES AS SELF-FULLING PROPHECY."

G. SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY IS A PROCESS SET IN MOTION
  1. CUT OFF FROM OTHERS IN CONVENTIONAL GROUPS

  2. TREATED IN APPROPRIATE WAY FOR THE TYPE OF DEVIANCE, THIS WILL FURTHER PRODUCE DEVIANCE

    "THE BEHAVIOR IS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE PUBLIC REACTION TO THE DEVIANCE RATHER THAN A CONSEQUENCE OF THE INHERENT QUALITIES OF THE DEVIANT ACT."

    WHAT IS A CONVICTED DRUNK DRIVER SUPPOSE TO DO WHEN THEIR LICENSE IS REVOKED?


  3. MOVEMENT INTO AN ORGANIZED DEVIANT GROUP
    GROUP MEMBERSHIP PROVIDES A BASE FOR AND SOLIDIFIES A DEVIANT IDENTITY

    DEVELOP A "COMPLICATED HISTORICAL, LEGAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL JUSTIFICATION FOR THEIR DEVIANT ACTIVITY."

    ALSO LEARNS HOW TO CONTINUE WITH THEIR DEVIANT BEHAVIOR WITH A MINIMUM AMOUNT OF TROUBLE

    HOW TO DO WHATEVER IT IS BETTER, WITH THE LEAST AMOUNT OF DETECTION

    H. NOT EVERYONE HAS POWER TO LABEL, SOME ARE MORE LIKELY TO APPLY A LABEL AND HAVE IT STICK, THESE PEOPLE BECKER CALLS MORAL ENTREPRENEURS. DENNY MIGHT CALL THESE FOLKS PROFESSIONAL MEDDLERS!!

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    Copyright: © 2001, John Hamlin
    Last Modified: Tuesday, 30-Jun-1998 06:59:45 CDT
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