Theme 9 Labelling Theory
1. The premise and assumptins io abe ing theiry (5)
The labelling perspectie (a si kniwn as the interactinaa theiry if deviance ir the siciaa
reactin perspectve) is based in the premise that siciety creates deviants by abe ing thise whi
are apprehended as diferent orim ither individua s, when in rea ity they are diferent in y
because they have been tagged with a deviant abe .
Labe ing theirists oicus in the pricesses by which individua s becime invi ved in deviant
behaviiur and stress the part p ayed by sicia audiences and their respinses ti the nirm
vii atins io individua s.
Tannebaum, Lemert, and Becker, oicus in the pricess by which oirma sicia cintri agents
change the se o-cincept io individua s thriugh these agents’ reactins ti their behaviiur.
2. Tannenbaum’s “dramatiatin io evi ” (5)
He examined the pricess whereby a juveni e came ti the atentin io the authirites and was
abe ed as diferent orim ither juveni es.
He theiriied that this pricess priduced a change in bith hiw thise individua s were than
hand ed by the justce system and hiw they came ti view themse ves - the dramatiatin if evia.
He write that the pricess io tagging a juveni e resu ted in the yiuth’s beciming invi ved with
ither de inquents and that these assiciatins represented an atempt ti escape the siciety that
was respinsib e oir negatve abe ing.
The de inquent then became invi ved in a deviant career, and regard ess io the efirts io
individua s in the cimmunity and justce system ti change his ir her “evi ” behaviiur, the
negatve behaviiur became increasing y hardened and resistant ti pisitve va ues.
Tannenbaum pripised that the ess the evi is dramatied, the ess ike y yiuths are ti becime
invi ved in deviant careers.
3. Lemert’s theiry io primary and secindary deviatin ((0)
Lemert oicused atentin in the interactin between sicia cintri agents and ru e vii atirs and
in hiw certain behaviiurs came ti be abe ed crimina , de inquent, ir deviant.
Primary deiiaton cinsists io the individua ’s behaviiur, and secondary deiiaton is siciety’s
respinse ti that behaviiur.
The sicia reactin ti the deviant ciu d be interpreted as oircing a change in status ir ri e; that
is, siciety’s reactin ti the deviant resu ted in a transoirmatin in the individua ’s identty.
The sicia reactin ti the deviant is critca in understanding a persin’s prigressive cimmitment
ti a deviant mide io ioe.
Lemert ibserved this pricess io beciming deviant as having the oi iwing stages:
The sequence io interactin eading ti secindary deviatin is as oi iws:
(() primary deviatin; (2) sicia pena tes; (() ourther primary deviatin; (4)
stringer pena tes and rejectin; (5) ourther deviatin (perhaps with hist ites and
resentment beginning ti oicus upin thise diing the pena iiing); (6) crisis reached in the
ti erance quitent, expressed in oirma actin by the cimmunity stgmatiing io the
deviant; (7) strengthening io the deviant cinduct as a reactin ti the stgmatiing and
pena tes; (8) u tmate acceptance io deviant status and efirts at adjustment in the
basis io the assiciated ri e.
4. New deve ipments in the efects io abe ing ((0 & se o study)
Trip et and Jarjiura deve iped a number io new avenues oir exp iring the efects io abe ing.
First, they separated abe ing inti oirma and inoirma abe ing.
1. The premise and assumptins io abe ing theiry (5)
The labelling perspectie (a si kniwn as the interactinaa theiry if deviance ir the siciaa
reactin perspectve) is based in the premise that siciety creates deviants by abe ing thise whi
are apprehended as diferent orim ither individua s, when in rea ity they are diferent in y
because they have been tagged with a deviant abe .
Labe ing theirists oicus in the pricesses by which individua s becime invi ved in deviant
behaviiur and stress the part p ayed by sicia audiences and their respinses ti the nirm
vii atins io individua s.
Tannebaum, Lemert, and Becker, oicus in the pricess by which oirma sicia cintri agents
change the se o-cincept io individua s thriugh these agents’ reactins ti their behaviiur.
2. Tannenbaum’s “dramatiatin io evi ” (5)
He examined the pricess whereby a juveni e came ti the atentin io the authirites and was
abe ed as diferent orim ither juveni es.
He theiriied that this pricess priduced a change in bith hiw thise individua s were than
hand ed by the justce system and hiw they came ti view themse ves - the dramatiatin if evia.
He write that the pricess io tagging a juveni e resu ted in the yiuth’s beciming invi ved with
ither de inquents and that these assiciatins represented an atempt ti escape the siciety that
was respinsib e oir negatve abe ing.
The de inquent then became invi ved in a deviant career, and regard ess io the efirts io
individua s in the cimmunity and justce system ti change his ir her “evi ” behaviiur, the
negatve behaviiur became increasing y hardened and resistant ti pisitve va ues.
Tannenbaum pripised that the ess the evi is dramatied, the ess ike y yiuths are ti becime
invi ved in deviant careers.
3. Lemert’s theiry io primary and secindary deviatin ((0)
Lemert oicused atentin in the interactin between sicia cintri agents and ru e vii atirs and
in hiw certain behaviiurs came ti be abe ed crimina , de inquent, ir deviant.
Primary deiiaton cinsists io the individua ’s behaviiur, and secondary deiiaton is siciety’s
respinse ti that behaviiur.
The sicia reactin ti the deviant ciu d be interpreted as oircing a change in status ir ri e; that
is, siciety’s reactin ti the deviant resu ted in a transoirmatin in the individua ’s identty.
The sicia reactin ti the deviant is critca in understanding a persin’s prigressive cimmitment
ti a deviant mide io ioe.
Lemert ibserved this pricess io beciming deviant as having the oi iwing stages:
The sequence io interactin eading ti secindary deviatin is as oi iws:
(() primary deviatin; (2) sicia pena tes; (() ourther primary deviatin; (4)
stringer pena tes and rejectin; (5) ourther deviatin (perhaps with hist ites and
resentment beginning ti oicus upin thise diing the pena iiing); (6) crisis reached in the
ti erance quitent, expressed in oirma actin by the cimmunity stgmatiing io the
deviant; (7) strengthening io the deviant cinduct as a reactin ti the stgmatiing and
pena tes; (8) u tmate acceptance io deviant status and efirts at adjustment in the
basis io the assiciated ri e.
4. New deve ipments in the efects io abe ing ((0 & se o study)
Trip et and Jarjiura deve iped a number io new avenues oir exp iring the efects io abe ing.
First, they separated abe ing inti oirma and inoirma abe ing.
