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Labeling Theory and Its Effects on Deviance and Delinquency

Aug 3, 2023 | 0 comments

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Aug 3, 2023 | Essays | 0 comments

Introduction

Labeling theory is a perspective based on how individuals’ interests and behaviors can be swayed by the terms society uses to classify them, enabling the self-fulfilling prophecy which perpetuates further deviance and delinquency. Deviance describes actions and behaviors that go against formal rules that have been enacted and informal social norms. Deviance is separated into two sections, which are: one, being formal deviance which is a crime that whereby there is a transgression of enacted laws that are formal. The disobedience of norms that have not been structured in the law is another type of deviant behavior and it is called informal deviance. Belching loudly is one example of an informal norm.

 

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Labeling theory occurs over a process of three stages. First, when a person breaks a set societal rule that is viewed as a deviant or negatively by others. Second, this so-called deviant is then overtime treated as such; excluded from social arrangements they were accustomed to before their rule-breaking, or spoken down to or spoken about. Lastly, the perceived deviant now accepts the role or stereotype and becomes an actual deviant. Labeling theory can be broken down into two different forms of labeling; formal and informal. Formal Labeling is when there is intervention by the criminal justice system, where there is a formal filing of the deviant act, which affects the self-concept. On the other hand, there is informal labeling, where the individual is labeled based on their behaviors by friends, family, teacher, or other members of the community which will often lead to more deviant behavior resulting in the eventual official labeling. Most times nonconformity to modern-day societal regulations are seen as actually deviant, and this role of deviance is mostly put on the personal characteristics of the individual rather than just the deviant act. Many forms are actually considered when one looks at sociological research concerning deviance. A lady called, Dr. Karen Halnon focused on informal deviance called, “deviance vacations,” whereby people that belong to a certain economic status enter a lower, social level. To gain acceptability to add profits people that are considered performers can affect deviant behaviors. Therefore, placing a congressional role by the majorities to negatively tag minorities.

In labeling theory past behaviors of a labeled individual who is considered deviant are reinterpreted according to their label. That process of recasting past actions is called “retrospective labeling.

A human being ends up becoming not normal when an unusual label is used on the specific person; one gets used to the label by portraying the behaviors that are related to the specific label. This theory shows how a person can become deviant when people force that identity on them. Stigma causes a process like this to work when applying a label that is deviant one connects a stigmatized identity to the labeled individual.

Background of Labeling Theory

This theory is deeply connected to the framework of reality. The social framework of self is a continuous activity that involves conversations with others. Nevertheless, its ideas can be seen in the work of a sociologist called Emile Durkheim. Others that put their input in the advancement of this theory and the conducting of research that is connected to it involve Edwin Lemert, Frank Tannenbaum, Erving Goffman, and David Matza, Albert Memmi.

This theory ended up emerging as the perspective that was dominating when it came to the learning of deviance. It ended up changing the domain by reconsidering what deviance was constituted by and what is actually considered important. For a quarter of a century, it actually dominated the study of deviance. Zenith passed it, and it has ended up remaining to be one of the aspects of societal reaction theory, an enduring view that has not stopped to produce research that has been extending and reviewing it to new domains such as stigma.

A statement on deviance that’s is very crucial is seen in the following quotation from Howard S. Becker, being one of the early exponents of the interactionist approach. Becker

mentions that “social’s group creates deviance by making the rules whose infraction constitute

deviance and, by applying those rules to particular people and labeling them as an outsider.” Labeling theory looks at the social responses to crime and deviance and does not tolerate questions of etiology.

Through different kinds of streams of influence, the study of deviance has been molded over the years. One of the origins of the learning of deviance that has been there from the beginning, over a century ago can be seen in Emile Durkheim’s (1897), who is a pioneering investigation of suicide, in which a relationship was established between the rates of suicide and organization of society. A perspective where we see deviance is viewed as norm transgressing behaviors, such as crime, suicide, etc., a dominant influence was developed. Research had started being conducted toward identifying the social causes of the norm-violating behavior plus the consequences that the larger society would have to face.

This theory cannot be recognized if not for its connection to the reaction theory that is from society and that it can be seen as another branch of that reaction theory. The different levels are intertwined.

There are three sections to these theories. (A) macroanalysis, focuses on inter-connections of labeling stages to the bigger social systems, (B) Studies that deal with larger focuses and Labeling Theory, is called Mesoanalysis, (C), the studies that deal with the all traditional worries of labeling theory. On the micro aspects of societal reaction theory, labeling theory would end getting into a narrow focus.

Edwin Lemert developed the ideas of secondary and primary deviance in his work Social Pathology which he published in 1951. Lemert described primary deviance as the initial deviant act, in which society saw the act as bad, but the individual’s character was still good. Simply put the behavior in which was acted out was against the grain of what was the norm, however, there were no long-term consequences of a permanent label from external observers or to a deviant self-identity on the part of the individual. Secondary deviance, Lemert described as the continuance of the deviant before in which the individual has become on the deviant self-image. Within the context of secondary deviance, the now truly deviant individual has realigned their self-concept to actively violate social norms with more deviance themselves or within a sub-group of the alike (Lemert, 1951). Later, in the 1960s and 1970s, labeling theory was brought to the forefront of criminologists such as Howard Becker, Kai Erickson, and John Kitsuse, where they affirmed that people’s behavior is often based on the perception of a deviant act, and manipulated by the social reaction to the deviant act.

An approach to understanding behavior that is considered is what is referred to as labeling theory. An assumption is made that there isn’t any intrinsically criminal act. Those in power define criminality by the making of laws.

Strengths and Weakness of the Labeling Theory

Strengths

Attempts at the control can often backfire in labeling theory. It also demonstrates the in a discriminatory way law is normally enforced. One can see the reasons for the difference in deviance between cultures. And it also highlights the weakness of official statistics. Identify possible criminogenic effects of criminal sanctions, also useful in assessing corrections methods.

Weakness

Labeling theory can give the offender-victim status and ignores the real victims of crime, which is very unfortunate is not a victim. Labeling theory is in fact the first theory to identify the role of power in creating deviance but it ends up failing to analyze this source, instead of focusing on ‘middle-range officials’, such as the police officers. This theory also normally ignores the people who actively pursue deviance. Plus it’s often deterministic- not all those who are labeled continue on a deviant career.

Another disadvantage of labeling theory is that it frequently encourages individuals to act in a way that is not themselves. Also, it can result in an individual having a criminal lifestyle, and yet that is not who they truly are. Moreover, stereotyping associated with labeling theory adamantly affects younger people, more than older people because they are more malleable. An advantage to this is that it can be used on young people especially those coming from a bad background to help them grow to be better people and adopt positive characteristics.

An observation of this theory is that it is still not very clear whether or not labeling has the impact of adding deviant behavior. Hard to say, since several things may be actually tangled, including increased conversations with other wrongdoers and actually adapting to new criminal chances.

Another observation of this theory is that it highlights the communicative stage of labeling and ends up ignoring the activities and stages that lead to deviant acts. Such stages might actually involve the difference in attitudes, and opportunities, and how the structures of the economy and social forms impact these.

Case Study

Criminal justice looks into the rapid growth of awareness that music substantially contributes to the understandings of law-breaking. Additionally, the steady increase of studies scrutinizing music effects on crime in society as a whole. Through examining the criminological significance in the growth of literature of music on crime in society to endorse and encourage inquiries by specifying criminal talk in music and its connection to educational criminology (Ferrell & Sanders, 1999). Evaluating different songs on murders, drugs, racism, wars, poverty, and various crimes, allow relevant authorities to investigate, the perceived and heard to the actual and seen. As well as, demonstrate the vital connection of music to criminology illustrating that crime-related music constitutes a form of widespread criminology, a dissertation comparable to practical criminology together with the identical social implications. Ferrell and Sanders (1999) illustrate that this is used in showing the processes that crime-related music nurture one’s thoughts regarding crime. It shows how crime-related music studies gain power and strength by concentrating on the criminological significance of (Ape& Gary, 2010).

Music is commonly seen as a positive social-cultural element as it exposes diverse phenomena affecting society, making it a significant tool to illustrate and practice the concept of labeling theory. Music has been used as a method of inflicting pain and suffering in conflict circumstances as well as healing within communities who feel injustice. For instance, it has been used to chastise or deter the least powerful in society, unwelcome groups of young people or others looked upon as contrary to society. Zhang and Messner (2000) look into the use of music in crime regulation, deterrence, and punishment by investigating the utilization of music for harmful ends, many of which disregard people’s civil rights. The labeling theory also looks at the reality of things in the world and how the world operates through the artist’s eyes and by the use of their words, classifying society in the diverse social categories.

Tupac”2Pac” Shakur was a prolific African American rap star, poet, martyr, revolutionary, and thug. His lyrics actually energized the hopes and dreams of inner-city youth. His lyrics “presented an idealistic vision of the ’90s, “thus, along with many other rappers, establishing rap music as America’s creative and most influential music form /speech community today (George143). 2Pac was one of the most influential and controversial voices to emerge from hip-hop’s genre of so-called gangster rap, which brought him so much criticism. 2Pac and many gangster rappers were criticized for their violently misogynistic claims. Gangster rappers became symbols of the best and worst of American musical creativity.

“Changes” is a song by 2Pac. The song talks about drugs, how black people are treated by the police at the time.

Tupac has so many songs that talk about aspects concerning labeling theory.

In his popular song Changes (Shakur, Evans, & Hornsby,1998, track 5), for example, Tupac raps:

I’m tired of bein’ poor & even worse I’m black

my stomach hurts so I’m lookin’ for a purse to snatch

Cops give a damn about a negro

pull the trigger kill a nigga he’s a hero

Give the crack to the kids who the hell cares

one less hungry mouth on the welfare

First ship ‘em dope & let ‘em deal the brothers

give ‘em guns step back watch ‘em kill each other

Several subjects are discussed extensively and one can see the relevance of the topics in one’s day-to-day lives and their effects on society. This demonstrates how much Tupac, as an individual, was affected by this theory as he shows immense social degradation which subjects the minority into intense discrimination and marginalization due to negative labels spearheaded by the majority Native white Americans. Through “Changes,” Tupac reveals how labeling theory has promoted police brutality, increased drug abuse, violence, and social crime like murder due to the brainwashing philosophy that labeling theory inspires. It turned him into a person that he wasn’t resulting in his early demise. The subjects exposed in Tupac’s “Changes” are directly related to criminal justice in the contemporary world as he tackles the labeling theory aspect and its adverse effects that have driven many youths into criminal activities in society. This song demonstrates the aspect of how when people are labeled by police as drug offenders have a harder time integrating into the society, and would not focus on the acquisitive crimes that these persons committed to getting money to buy drugs,….etc. This reflects how it emphasizes the deviant, and ignores the real social harms that crime causes.

Applying Labeling Theory to a Case Study

Tupac’s “Changes” significantly reveals the negative stereotype that the dominant white supremacists have accorded to the minority people of color. Through constantly associating the African American communities with antisocial behaviors such as crime, violence, and drug abuse, the community has adamantly conformed to the description and regretfully accepted their deplorable social position. With the consistent promotion of social inequality, Tupac exposes massive poverty affecting the black community and how negative labeling has consequently deterred them from elevating themselves from the adverse effects of poverty like crime, internet also promotes establishment of illegal pharmacies that may be dealing in unapproved or recalled drugs. Besides, online drug abuse, and violence. Additionally, despite the adamant misconception that labeling theory results in anti-social conduct among the African American communities, it is acknowledgeable that the white supremacy notion and massive racial profiling and discrimination have extremely repressed people of color leading to unequal distribution of socioeconomic resources. In a more contemporary application of informal labeling theory, one may be on the receiving end of the label based on the notions and perceived label or stereotype. The lines show how many black people in America are caught up in poor conditions and don’t get because they are labeled or stereotyped by so they continue to be deviant just to get by.

Further, according to the song “Changes,” this state of being poor and being given a label according to that is greatly reflected in the disorganized and underprivileged communities. Thus crime and violence are present in such communities. Pager et.al. (2009) point out that the upbringing of a child in low-income neighborhoods can affect crime. An observation has been made that there is often inequality in the arrests made among those from low-class neighborhoods and noble neighborhoods. Hence, socio-economic labeling and prejudice that encompasses the aiming of low-class neighborhoods significantly influence crimes. For instance, the unprivileged people in the community who are unable to access necessities thus go-ahead to do activities that are unlawful and illegal to be able to provide for themselves (Pager et.al.2009). It can thus lead to inefficiency and negative public beliefs in a person or a community. This makes some people perform unlawful deeds to be able to access necessities.

Nevertheless, labeling individuals in society promote significant connections to understand societal classes. Society often has the thoughts that the dependent users of income taxes and personal revenues. However, as much as the healthcare system in Canada is social and universal, the plan does not cater for drugs such as crack cocaine and heroin are those committing acts such as burglary and larceny to obtain funds to buy the drugs (King &Fliegal, 2011). Apart from that crime and drugs have other connecting grouping that deems labels on individuals in the social influence of drugs specifically alcohol are caught committing aggravated offenses (King &Fliegal, 2011). A great portion of stabbings, killings, homicides, and part of the domestic assaults are greatly associated with drunkenness and drug abuse.

Lastly, Tupac repeats that he actually does not notice and see any change and would like to see each individual doing something to change. Somewhere in the song, he gives a moving speech over the beat, “It’s time for us as a people to start makin’ some changes. Let’s change the way we eat, let’s change the way we live, and let’s change the way we treat each other. You see the old way wasn’t working so it’s on us to do what we gotta do, to survive(Shakur et al., 1998, track 5).” From a theoretical standpoint, one can correlate the way we treat each other as a way of enabling or solving the continued deviance of labeled individuals. If society could look at deviance or delinquency as an act and not as the characteristics of the actor, then there is still hope for a recovery social structure. A social structure where people aren’t known as bad, when they still have a sliver of good in them, that individuals who make mistakes can still be brought back into the fold and restored, rather than scrutinized.

Other Theories that Can Explain the Case Study

Social Disorganization Theory

This theory states where a person resides in an important factor when it comes to whether that person will be involved in illegal activities. This theory mentions that a person’s location is more important in determining whether he or she will be involved in illegal activities rather than even the person’s characteristics. For example, youth in a particular area are pronto doing drugs and caring services and hands decontaminated after the glove have been removed. Lastly, gloves should be changed when soiled and should not be decontaminated or washed with alcohol if they are surrounded by so many clubs, and drug selling stores, etc.

When you decide to listen to the lyrics of a song you will notice that several songs have key messages to them. One of the examples of this is such lyrics of the song “Changes” by Tupac Shakur.

Throughout the song, Tupac talks about problems affecting Factors influencing job satisfaction among public sector employees: an empirical exploration. South African-Americans and gives possible ways on how to solve them. He also observes why his communities have a hard time dealing with these problems, which is linked to social issues. He says in the song “First ship ’em dope & let ’em deal the brothers. Give ’em guns, step back, and watch ’em kill each other.”

Social Control Theory

Using the internal method of social control is what is referred to as social control theory. The beliefs one has and what he/she values plus the relationships that one has made him/her conform to them. When one internalizes morals and individuals are put together into larger communities, people will willingly restrict deviant acts. This proposes the significance of internal methods of control through one’s own consciousness, sensibilities, and self-esteem about what is wrong what is right are strong enough to mitigate the probability that one will stray from social norms. This is extremely different from external methods of control, in which people listen and obey because an authority threatens to punish should the individual choose not to submit.

Social control theory assumes that all the choices that one makes are mannered by social interactions and agreements between parties. According to social control theory, what is moral and immoral to an individual is established within a social order and has consequences to actions that are marked as deviant.

Conflict Theory

When deviant behaviors come from political, or social, or material differences in a social group that is referred to as conflict theory. Different groups can decide to do something, or “act out” against the people oppressing them to change their circumstances. An example of conflict theory would be how the 2Pac song, “Changes” and several different songs by him would speak out, bring conflict, and bring awareness on how they were being mistreated and how they were being labeled. He acted out through his music and caused people in his area to act out and protest. His actions and point of view show how conflict theory can be used to explain social deviance. This is also another theory that can be used to explain more about the case study on 2Pac

Conclusion

Conclusively, negatively labeling people as deviant, aggressive, anti-social, drug addicts, robbers, and murders substantially engulf their identity and they acquire the self-concept version rather than the original prior-to-deviant-self. Frequently restoring such individuals into default status is greatly difficult. For instance, due to the predominant negative stereotype, African Americans and other people of color have accepted their minority position without much resistance. A great number of people involve themselves in criminality to acquire essentials such as food, housing, and clothing for not only themselves but also their families due to the adverse effects of negative stereotype and labeling that leads to inequality and unequal distribution of resources (Ape & Sweeten, 2010).

When someone is referred to as a deviant person it becomes a hard task to remove that label. The individual remains to be referred to as a criminal and society view him as being untrustworthy. That person, in turn, takes in that label that has been given to him and starts viewing himself/herself as that deviant individual and then proceeds to do deeds that portray the expectations of that label. Even when that person does not do any other deviant act than the one that made him get that label it will start to be a very long and hard process to get rid of that label. When labeling theory is applied to an individual publicly for doing a bad thing that person will forever be treated with a lot of suspicions.

References

Apel, R., & Sweeten, G. (2010). The Impact of Incarceration on Employment during the Transition to Adulthood. Social Problems, 57(3), 448-479. doi:10.1525/sp.2010.57.3.448

Ferrell, J. (1999). world as an American woman married to a Muslim. Boundaries are often based on norms of Cultural Criminology. Annual Review of Sociology, 25(1), 395-418. doi:10.1146/annurev.soc.25.1.395

King, A. G., & Fliegel, R. M. (2011). Conviction records and disparate impact. ABA Journal of Labor & Employment Law 26:405–26.

Pager, D., Bonikowski, B., & Western, B. (2009). Discrimination in a Low-Wage Labor Market: A Field Experiment. American Sociological Review, 74(5), 777–799. https://doi.org/10.1177/000312240907400505

Shakur, T., Evans, D., & Hornsby, B. (1998). Changes [Recorded by Tupac Shakur]. On Greatest Hits [CD]. Santa Monica, CA: Interscope.

Thornberry, T. P. (1973). Race, Socioeconomic Status, and Sentencing in the Juvenile Justice System. The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology (1973-),64(1), 90. doi:10.2307/1142660

Zhang, L., & Messner, S. F. (2000). The Effects of Alternative Measures of Delinquent Peers on Self-Reported Delinquency. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency,37(3), 323-337. doi:10.1177/0022427800037003004

Desmondtwsa. Labeling Theories of Crime. Slideshare.net. https://www.slideshare.net/desmondtwsa/labelling-theories-of-crime

Social Disorganization Theory.End. Wikipedia.org.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_disorganization_theory

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