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Labeling theory holds that deviance is not inherent in an act, but instead focuses on the tendency of majorities to negatively label minorities or those seen as deviant from standard cultural norms. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] The theory was prominent during the 1960s and 1970s, and some modified versions of the theory have developed and are still currently ...
The medicalization of deviance, the transformation of moral and legal deviance into a medical condition, is an important shift that has transformed the way society views deviance. [3]: 204 The labelling theory helps to explain this shift, as behavior that used to be judged morally are now being transformed into an objective clinical diagnosis ...
The most prevalent theory as it relates to primary deviance was developed in the early 1960s by a group of sociologists and was titled "labeling theory". The labeling theory is a variant of symbolic interactionism. Symbolic interactionism is "a theoretical approach in sociology developed by George Herbert Mead.
Labeling theory is a sociological theory that claims labels have a profound impact on individuals. Labeling theory is closely connected with criminology, and examines conceptualizations of deviance. While labeling theory is not singularly focused on the study of crime, it uses "deviance" and "the criminal" to explain the effect of labels. [2]
Becker's 1963 book Outsiders is credited as one of the first books on labeling theory and its application to studies of deviance. [13] Becker explored the theory in which deviance is simply a social construction used to persuade the public to fear and criminalize certain groups. [15] A compilation of early essays on the subject, Outsiders ...
Labelling or using a label is describing someone or something in a word or short phrase. [1] For example, the label "criminal" may be used to describe someone who has broken a law. Labelling theory is a theory in sociology which ascribes labelling of people to control and identification of deviant behaviour.
The essential notion of labeling theory is that deviance and conformity result not so much from what people do as from how others respond to these actions. [1]: 203 It also states that a society's reaction to specific behaviors are a major determinant of how a person may come to adopt a "deviant" label.
Merton's theory on deviance stems from his 1938 analysis of the relationship between culture, structure and anomie. Merton argued that deviance is most likely to occur when there is a discrepancy between culturally prescribed goals and the legitimate means of obtaining them. [18]