The impact of reputation: Deviant labels such as thief, queer or junkie are more powerful than other labels. Some researchers believe people of lower social status are more likely to be labelled deviant. This difficulty in interacting with others occurs for at least two reasons: 1. Disability labels are a necessary part of the special education process, at least with regard to how it is conducted in the United States. Clearly, law enforcement is affected by circumstance: The attachment of labels has important consequences for how others see a person and how s/he comes to view themselves. Labeling Theory and Symbolic Interaction Theory C. Becker’s Labeling Theory Tannenbaum, Lemert, and Kitsuse had discussed important concepts in labeling and stigmatization, but the labeling approach was more systematically refined with the work of Becker (1963) on societal “outsiders.” What is included in an Individual Education Plan (IEP)? Other such statuses are those of ethnicity and gender. Labeling theory, in criminology, a theory stemming from a sociological perspective known as ‘symbolic interactionism,’ a school of thought based on the ideas of George Herbert Mead, John Dewey, W.I. Conflict Theory. Deviant behaviour is behaviour that people so label.” It is far more efficient to simply use a label to describe a type of disability than to list out all the symptoms and signs associated with that particular disability each time you need to communicate. Moreover, the generalized nature of disability labels help professionals to communicate with one another about groups of children who have similar specialized needs and also helps them choose certain methods to provide education to those children. Criticisms of the Labeling Perspective Many criticisms have been leveled against the labeling perspective by criminologists who looked at labeling as an attack on prior theoretical thought. Devia… This essay will go on to show the origins of labelling theory, the theory itself and will show its strengths and weaknesses using various case-studies and examples. Disapproval of states of ecstasy - dislike of selfish pleasure. This part of what is sometimes known as the 'societal reaction' approach and is outlined in the work of Edwin Lemert. This showed labelling inaction. Not only should it always produce negative consequences, but also such consequences should only occur because of the application of the label. Clearly, rule creating is also the result of the labelling process. They over-simplify the process of labelling, and particularly they minimise the role of the deviant in the defining process. The use of such labels may also inadvertently push well-meaning family members and teachers to lower their expectations of a child once labeled with a disability. Disability labels focus on what students cannot do, not on what they can do, and therefore can encourage children to think of themselves as incomplete or inadequate and to contribute to the development of low self-esteem. 3 Manning, supra note 2, at 123. Agencies of control have considerable discretion. Knowing the down-sides associated with disability labeling can help parents and teachers and special needs students themselves to compensate for them. There is a disregard for the origins of deviant behaviour. This includes those who through professional status claim the right to label others - teachers, social workers and psychologists. Rather, they believe that the educational system reinforces and perpetuates social inequalities that arise from differences in class, gender, race, and ethnicity. Child Development & Parenting: Early (3-7), Child Development & Parenting: Middle (8-11), Child Development Theory: Middle Childhood (8-11). Within IDEA, disability labels identify formal definitions that are used to determine eligibility. Rather than taking the definition of crime for granted, labelling theorists are interested in how certain acts come to be defined or labelled as criminal in the first place. Handling Disputes: Due Process and Mediation, IEP Disagreement Options and Annual Renewals. Some parents worry that labels increase the likelihood of this happening, and that the labels themselves would become a way to tease or ridicule their child. They tend to concentrate on middle level agencies of social control such as the police and the courts. This spoiled identity is what we term stigma. Thus, labels help children to comfortably talk about how they are different from each other, and how they are the same. There have been criticisms that the terms in labelling theory lack precision, and that there is no real account taken of the central social processes, such as how every day behaviour actually needs to have a societal reaction. the demise of labelling theory is illusory. The following points seem essential to the labelling approach: Social rules are essentially political products - they reflect the power of groups to have laws enforced, or not. Lemert begins by distinguishing between 'primary' and 'secondary' deviance. If labelling is so straightforward, then it should be more uniform in its effects. The author traces the origins and development of the notion of "labelling theory" and argues that there are two distinct referents for this term. There is no analysis of crimes such as offences against property. It is through the labeling theory that other theorist build a foundation on other developing theories. There … With negative labels, a person will need to accommodate to his/her spoiled identity. Marsh, the career structure of a soccer hooligan (The Rules of Disorder). "Labelling is the process by which others – usually those in powerful positions – come to impose an identity upon us" (O’Byrne, 2011). There is less chance of 'normal' behaviour. It is applied to education in relation to teachers applying labels on their pupils in terms of their ability, potential or behaviour. The group identity also allows parents, families, and other groups which support youth with disabilities to come together to provide each other support and to advocate for their children. 'The deviant returns home with no proper licence to resume a normal life in the community. Indeed, the teacher may well be surprised and suspicious if the student does well! Institutions are part of the labelling process and operate both to assign a label and have that label accepted by the deviant. (Box). They constitute what Everett Hughes calls 'master statuses'. Social learning theory is a theory that attempts to explain socialization and its effect on the development of the self. 3  They also assert that it's not entirely certain whether labeling increases deviancy. What Happens at a Disability Eligibility Meeting? Kids With Special Needs Struggling to Receive Good Care During Pandemic, Ask the Expert - Academic Evaluations - What Parents Need to Know, Steps Parents Should Take Once Their Child is Identified with A Learning Disability. Lesson Objectives• Introduce the Labelling theory to Crime and Deviance• Be able to apply Labelling theory to examples of Crime and Deviance• Evaluate Labelling Theory 3. Sometimes children will be more comfortable and more welcoming to a child with disabilities when they can learn about and understand what makes their peer differently-abled. Criticisms Despite the refreshing approach of labelling theory, there are a number of serious criticisms: There is a tendency to over-romanticise accounts of deviance, which in their concern for the 'underdog' can distort the reality of crime; some of it is pretty nasty. WC ; ... Labelling Theory 2. Nothing has happened to cancel out the stigmas imposed on him... the members of the community seem reluctant to accept the returning deviant on an entirely equal footing... if the returning deviant has to face the community's apprehension often enough... he may respond to the uncertainty by resuming deviant activity.' (A Nurturing article that describes this in more detail will be coming soon). Children observe the people around them behaving in various ways. They raise questions of power but don?t have a structurally based critique. Those are that society changes, and so does labelling. Symbolic interactionism is only one element in the development of the approach [one which Plummer is especially keen to defend] (see file on Blumer on s.i.) Hence it is claimed, too much emphasis is placed on the impact of social reaction and thus on the deviants present as opposed to their past. Furthermore, it focuses on the power that people in society have to make these labels stick. The criticism, however, stems from the fact that labeling theory does not require that status characteristics are the most important determinant of labeling. Labelling has been criticised for failing to analyse the structures of power and interest at work in the making of laws and the definitions of 'criminal' and 'deviant'. What is included in an Individual Education Plan (IEP) - Part II, What is included in an Individual Education Plan (IEP) - Part III, Accommodation of Emotional and Behavioral Problems. It doesn't explain why people are deviant before labeling occurs. These labels can be positive or negative and can result in a self-fulfilling prophecy. Why then write about the labeling approach? However, the mandated use of formal labels has been criticized by some parents and child advocacy groups who have concerns about the unintended negative consequences that stem … One concern over disability labeling is the potential for such labels to cause children to be singled out and even ridiculed. Using drugs might not impair a persons working ability, but to be known as an addict could likely lead to the loss of a job. Which of the following is a criticism of labeling theory? Once labelled a deviant it can become increasingly difficult to interact with others in society. The media play an important role in identifying these folk devils as targets for popular concern and the problem they are seen to present is magnified out of all proportion. First, is the view that people tend to behave the way they are labelled. Critiques of Labeling Theory Critics of labeling theory argue that it ignores factors—such as differences in socialization, attitudes, and opportunities—that lead to deviant acts. Labelling theory is based on the pretence that assumptions are made on an individual child based on the above factors, the outcome of this is that if a child is labelled in a negative fashion, then they will learn to behave as such. The common factor among deviants, claims Lemert, is the process of labelling - the public reaction to the deviant leads to secondary deviance, the response of the deviant to public labelling. Deviants come across as passive victims. Interactionists argue that there is no such thing as an inherently deviant act – in other words there is nothing which is deviant in itself in all situations and at all times, certain acts only become deviant in certain situations when others label them as deviant. First, labeling a child as disabled in a binary "true-or-false" manner makes it clear in a formal manner to all involved parties that the child requires special accommodation. ... two of the best known explanations of deviance offered by _____ are differential association theory and labeling theory. Institutions (prisons, asylums, boarding schools) are particularly important in the stigmatising process. Thomas, Charles Horton Cooley, and Herbert Blumer, among others. This involves a 'mortification' process, especially on entry to the institution, a series of humiliations that tend to remove all individuality - stripped; deloused; possessions removed; uniform issues; number given. In spite of these, the major drawback of the labelling theory is the lack of empirical data to support it. Isolates groups and individuals from contemporaries. Labelling can conquer anywhere in education, whether its from, a teacher, a parent or a … Given the above findings it should be no surprise that the Rosenthal and Jacobson research has been proved unreliable … The labeling theory has been critiqued at a very critical level. Social Reaction (Labeling) Theory: Pros, Cons, and Effects On Society The Social Reaction, or Labeling Theory as it is sometimes known, has developed over time from as early as 1938 (Wellford, 1975). How Labeling Theory Can Help Us Understand Bias and Criminal Behavior 2016 2. Behind this utilitarianism was a strong laissez-faire assumption that the best results would come from the least intervention. The degree of choice and consciousness that actors have is denied them. There are several advantages to labeling children's disabilities. The central idea is that societal reaction can actually cause deviant behaviour. This identity helps them become more visible to lawmakers and researchers, which in turn helps to obtain legislation, funding, and scientific research which may benefit the group. Moral crusades, according to Becker, usually involve enlisting the support of interested organisations and developing a favourable public attitude towards a proposed rule. Parents perform this corrective role by emphasizing their child's abilities along with their disabilities. PROB. It looks at the individual learning process, the formation of self, and the influence of society in socializing individuals. There are two main kinds of criticisms of labelling theory -- theoretical and positivistic (for the latter, see Gove). The label can attach to the whole identity, not simply the particular deviant act. Thirdly, labelling can lead to stigmatisation. 570 (1975). Secondary deviance implies a long causal chain of events, including negative labels, objective and perceived opportunities, and deviant self-images. Her education. The post-institutional experience of many people is stigmatisation and social rejection, particularly in the case of prisons, but also asylums. Labeling theory was quite popular in the 1960s and early 1970s, but then fell into decline-partly as a result of the mixed results of empirical research. Howard Becker (1963): his key statement about labelling is: “Deviancy is not a quality of the act a person commits, but rather a consequence of the application by others of rules and sanctions to an ‘offender’. When a student acts out a label they’ve been given it’s known as the self-fulfilling prophecy. The labeled individual might become more offensive towards the people who labeled […] When an individual in the society is labelled as criminal, it compels him to commit more crimes. Disability labels are a necessary part of the special education process, at least with regard to how it is conducted in the United States. Adult Crisis: (813)272-2958Children's Crisis: (813)272-2882Outpatient: (813)272-2244. Often, learning that a child's impairment isn't contagious, or learning that a child isn't purposefully trying to be different from others, can be very calming for other children. Another way labeling can harm students is through the way that they may come to define and artificially limit the way that special needs children come to think of themselves, and the way that others come to think of these students. Conflict theorists do not believe that public schools reduce social inequality. Lets assume that it does. There is a concentration on marginal forms of deviance. The example Lemert uses is in 'Stuttering Among the North Pacific Coastal Indians', but perhaps better examples come from the study of 'moral panics'. For example a teacher dealing with the student labelled a 'failure' will not be surprised when the student fails. Prior to discovery, a person is not labelled, but indulging in what labelling theorists call rule-breaking behaviour. A final criticism of disability labeling is that labels are inherently general, and fail to capture the unique strengths and limitations of each child, or the severity of their symptoms. The conceptions/expectations of others: Others relate to the labelled person on the basis of the label and the responses come to reinforce the reputation. For some sociologists this stratification is evident in England's secondary schools where students are grouped by ability. Despite the refreshing approach of labelling theory, there are a number of serious criticisms: The society/culture in which an act occurs -. Theory suggest that, people tend to act and behave as they are labeled by other people. The media are particularly important in this process since 'over-reporting' leads to: Similar processes have been noted by Hall ('Policing the Crisis') as regards 'mugging' and more recently in the moral panic surrounding AIDS. Peers can treat children who are different from themselves unkindly. Two things need to be present for the creation of laws/rules: Becker uses the Marijuana Tax Act (1937) to illustrate the underlying values that lead to the imposition of a tax on marijuana. He identified the following values: These values can be 'pushed' by moral entrepreneurs. Individuals can rationalize their ‘deviant’ behaviour. We cannot rule out the possibility that deviants choose to continue their behaviour because they find it rewarding. 4 For an excellent summary of the criticisms leveled against labeling theory see … There is a tendency to over-romanticise accounts of deviance, which in their concern for the 'underdog' can distort the reality of crime; some of it is pretty nasty. These models provide examples of behavior to observe and imitate, … In the case of the Marijuana Tax act the Bureau of Narcotics was the driving force. The deviant is ascribed a negative identity which in many cases is irreversible. 1973); Goode, On Behalf of Labelling Theory, 22 Soc. A folk devil is a person or group that is regarded as disruptive or dangerous, for example, football hooligans. The above ideas can be illustrated via the example of drug addiction. This in turn may affect the child's overall success because when parents and teachers do not challenge children adequately, it makes it harder for them to think well of themselves. In society, children are surrounded by many influential models, such as parents within the family, characters on children’s TV, friends within their peer group and teachers at school. Labeling theory view deviance from symbolic interaction and conflict perspective. The most important step towards being labelled is being discovered. How Involved Should Parents Be When It Comes To Their Child's IEP? This process is also noted by Rosenhan (Being Sane in Insane Places). Rosenthal and Jacobson found if a student was given a positive label they acted that label out and visa versa. For example; Pittman (1977) the stages in becoming a male prostitute. Since an addict cannot always get drugs legally, they must get them illegally and thus there may be a need to resort to deceit and crime to support the habit. We can thus conclude that labelling theory does have an effect, but is … Marxist criticism- fails to explain the origin of labels or why they are applied to certain groups e.g. They can keep a watchful eye on their child's experiences with other children, and keep in check their own expectation of their child to ensure they are neither too high, nor too low. Labelling theorists use the concept of the deviant career to chart the stages in the process of becoming a committed deviant. Unless blocked in some way, these master statuses can lead to self-fulfilling prophecies. Why Are Gifted and Talented Programs Necessary? Social learning theory is commonly used by sociologists to explain deviance and crime. Such rule-breaking need have no further consequences for the person involved. Secondly, that those that are so labelled tend to behave as characterised by the label. The Mass Media play an important role in developing labels by which social problems are publicly recognised. Labelling theory was developed by Howard Becker and is most associated with the sociology of deviance. Box identifies four reasons why an ex-con/inmate may consider that 'going straight' is not an option: Labelling may actually increase the amount of deviant behaviour through the process of 'crime amplification'. Humanitarianism - abhorrence of anything that enslaves. "The earliest critiques of labeling objected to the theory's disregard for the actual behavior of the deviant and the image of the deviant being coerced by the labeling process into … It can be said that educational differentiation are held to … Symbolic interaction ignores. 5707 N. 22nd StreetTampa, FL 33610P: (813)272-2244F: (813)272-3766, About Us | About CenterSite | Terms & PrivacyCopyright © CenterSite, LLC, 1995-2020, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Individualized Education Plans (IEP) and Individual Family Service Plans (IFSP), IDEA Categories of Qualifying Disabilities, IDEA Categories of Qualifying Disabilities Part II, The Identification and Evaluation of Disability, Parent's Options Regarding the Proposed Evaluation. Lemert argues that secondary deviance should be the focus of study because of its effect on the individual. In such cases, the individual will find it difficult to conform to other rules, which they have previously had no intention or need to break - for example, stealing. Parents, in their role as advocates for their children, play a particularly important role in helping to insure that negative expectations do not come to dominate a child's educational planning. Lemert argues that societal reaction is a 'cause' of deviance. The protestant value of self-control and responsibility - people not in full control and therefore in no position to accept responsibility for deviant acts. Goffman ('Asylums') argues that the stated aims of institutions of cure and rehabilitation, but that in practice, the institution strives to get the deviant to accept their deviant identity. Labels help groups of individuals who have disabilities in common form a group identity. Labelling Perspective is regarded as one of the main theories developed by the interactionists, with Howard Becker being instrumental in its formation (Giddens and Sutton, 2013). The media then launches a campaign against these groups making the public, police and the groups themselves more aware of their existence and hence creating a demand for 'something to be done'. There is an very strong relationship between family wealth and educational success, as well as family wealth and occupational outcomes, Becky Francis, 2016. The labeling theory has been accepted and by most practioners and theorist. Labeling theory, in criminology, a theory stemming out of a sociological perspective known as “symbolic interactionism,” a school of thought based on the ideas of George Herbert Mead, John Dewey, W. I. Thomas, Charles Horton Cooley, and Herbert Blumer, among others. Currently the Social Reaction Theory proposes that when a person commits a crime; they will receive the label of "criminal". to criticisms of labeling theory, see H. BECKER, Labeling Theory Reconsidered in THE OUTSIDERS (2d ed. This is shown in Jock Young's study, 'The Drugtakers'. Labeling children's disabilities may also provide them with a social benefit inasmuch as their labels help their peers to better understand where they are coming from. Within IDEA, disability labels identify formal definitions that are used to determine eligibility. Whereby the inmate accepts the label and thereby may become unable to function outside of the institution. For one thing, present criticism crudely reject the entire approach, and although labeling possesses a number of misleading claims-, many of which will be presented in a later part of this essay, it also possesses some insightful and frequently neglected directions for deviancy studies. Through a series of interactions, pressure is put on the deviant to accept a label. ... (education and career). Under IDEA, it is necessary that a disability be identified and labeled in order for children to be eligible to receive special education services. Parents, teachers, and other school professionals can work diligently to see each child as an individual with unique needs, strengths, and qualities. (Chegg, 2014) The idea of Labelling isn't something that is new or even unidentified in some cases. The final stage of this process is 'institutionalisation'. In times of social and economic crisis, the media play an important part in the creation of 'folk devils' around which moral panics develop, generally in the form of 'scapegoating'. Crossman, A. However, the mandated use of formal labels has been criticized by some parents and child advocacy groups who have concerns about the unintended negative consequences that stem from labeling. Educational attainment in England is highly stratified by social class. This is illustrated during the famous Bobo doll experiment (Bandura, 1961).Individuals that are observed are called models. The deviant might find it easier to come to terms with the label than to fight it. subject of labelling, the theory offered a criticism of existing state practice (though not a reexamination of its function) and a recommendation for future practice. The behaviour is thus a consequence of the public reaction to the addict as a deviant, rather than a consequence of the inherent quality of the deviant act. One, which the au- Primary deviance is deviance before it is publicly labelled; it has a number of possible causes and is not worth investigating since samples are biased and since it has no impact on the individual, it does not influence status or activities. 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