VIII. LABELING THEORY

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VIII. LABELING THEORY

• (because Im not sure where I really want to
  locate this)

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A. Introduction

• 1. basic premise
• a. we are what people think of us
• b. as we have the ability to live up
  to expectations, we also have
• the ability to live down to them
• c. modeling / learning
• 2. legacy of the Symbolic Interactionist
  perspective
• a. human interaction is a form of
  social control
• b. Charles Horton Cooley (1902)
  looking glass self
• gt we all see ourselves through the
  eyes of others
• c. W I Thomas (1923) definition of the
  situation

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• 3. functionalist contribution
• a. Robert K Merton (!949)
  self-fulfilling prophecy
• 1) social structures are organized
  in a hierarchy that
• establishes social status on
  certain individuals
• 2) we act as we do based on the
  expectations of others and
• ourselves
• b. Frank Tannenbaum (1937)
  dramatization of evil /
• social tagging
• 1) first to identify a labeling
  perspective
• 2) crime / deviance reflects an individuals
  acceptance by / of
• a criminal / deviant group

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4. Garfinkels (1956) Successful Degradation
Ceremonies (A Moral Indignation) model
Mentally Ill
Treatment
Physically Ill

NORMAL BEHAVIOR
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B. The Theory

• 1. Edwin Lemert primary and secondary
  deviance (1967)
• a. primary deviance the initial
  behavior that causes recognition
• gt the behavior that is
  identified as deviant that gains the
• attention of authorities
• b. secondary deviance, individual
  incorporation of
• societys response (label)
• c. Goffman (Stigma, 1963) calls this
  spoiled
• identities, negative self-images
  (1922-1982)
• d. premise
• 1) individual behaves
  aberrantly
• 2) behavior is noticed (an
  arrest) by authorities who then
• respond

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• 3) label is attached
• gt Goffmans deviancy
  amplification
• 4) upon being labeled,
  individual will act in the manner
• consistent with his / her
  expectations of that label
• e. comments
• gt is it the label or
  the response
• 2. social order
• a. law is the expression of moral
  certitude and control
• b. crime is a status, an achievement,
  an abstraction
• gt criminal is an ascribed
  social construction of which there
• are masters, journeyers, and
  apprentices

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• 3. affect on criminal justice
• a. Critics the system creates the
  offenders it wants
• b. Supporters labeling deters
• c. Practice, what to do knowing what we
  know?
• 1) radical non-intervention (Schur,
  1973)
• a) dont ask / dont tell
• b) eventually, we all grow up
• 2) diversion programs
• 3) VOMP

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• 
  4. Howard Becker (1928 - )
• 
  The Outsiders Studies in the
  
• 
  Sociology of Deviance
• 
  a. emphasized that the role of the
• 
  labeler
• 
  
• gt the labelee must agree that the
  labeler has credibility
• b. (controversially) human behavior is
  mostly neutral, the social
• order is responsible for creating
  significance beyond the act

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C. Criticisms

• 1. What about primary deviance?
• gt does not address original sin
• 2. Does not address those who eschew the
  label
• gt those with significant self-esteem /
  self concepts
• 3. Ecological fallacy