Sociology (Labeling Theory) – Flashcards

The belief that individuals subconsciously notice how others see or label them, and their reactions to those labels over time form the basis of their self - identity - being labeled a deviant will cause people to do more deviant acts since they were already labeled

Labeling by other people

When you start to think about how others see you and start believing them

- Argued that individuals dont commit crimes, rather, social groups create deviance 1) by setting the rules for what is right and wrong 2) by labeling wrongdoers as outsiders - it is the social reaction to an act and the labeling that creates social deviance

Any transgression of socially established norms

- The first act of rule breaking that may incur a label of "deviant" - after a person is labeled a deviant, he/she might start behaving differently as a result of the way people think about and act towards them

Deviant acts that occur after primary deviance and as a result of your new deviant label and peoples expectations of you

- Explains how the way other people see you affect the way you behave - society affects the way people act

We have an idea of what other people see in us, thus, effecting how we see ourselves

- We have a general idea of how people or the world are - shapes our actions by internalizing of what is and is not acceptable in different social situations

A negative social label that not only changes other's behaviors towards a person but also alters that person's self-concept and social identity