Labeling theory: what does this current in Sociology consist of?

Within sociology there are many currents and theories that try to explain human relationships from different points of view.

One of the most popular in recent times is labeling theory. Let's discover how this thought arises and what are the implications of the postulates it raises.

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Labeling theory definition

The theory of labeling, or labeling theory, is one of the currents exposed within the sociology of deviation (the part of sociology that studies conventions and social norms) whose foundation lies in that the deviation from the norm would not be linked to the act itself, but to the fact that the person who performs it belongs to a minority, and therefore the social majority automatically labels them as negative, because they consider that they stray from common norms.

It is a theory that emerged in the 60s of the last century. One of the pioneers in the labeling theory would be Howard Becker. This author, after carrying out numerous investigations on interactions between social groups, concludes that deviation from the norm is not a quality that is can be attributed to the conduct, but rather that it is given by the social majority, which would issue a series of rules and apply the corresponding sanctions if someone transgresses.

In this case, the sanction would be the fact of qualifying the fact as a deviation from the norm and therefore, to the one who exercises it, as a deviant (outsider is the original term used in English). Therefore, a deviant behavior is so because it is established by a majority group with respect to the minority that exercises it, and that is perceived as negative by others because of it.

Self-fulfilling prophecy and stereotypes

To a certain extent, the labeling theory would be drinking from two widely used concepts in Psychology, such as stereotypes and self-fulfilling prophecy. The first refers to those generalizations we make to attribute certain characteristics to a person just because they belong to a certain group, while the second refers to the mechanism by which what we think is going to happen often happens, because we make it easier for it to happen.

The social majority group would be using stereotypes regarding the people they label in minority groups, so that they automatically attribute a series of characteristics, generally negative, because we have already seen that they are considered transgressors of the rules that must be complied with, because that is what they dictate, who represent the majority of that population.

In the case of the self-fulfilling prophecy, it would take place as follows. Members of the majority anticipate that an individual belonging to a minority (with respect to them) will commit a transgression of a norm. Since social norms are given by them, who are the majority, compared to minority groups, it happens that the behavior that the individual performs differs from what is considered normative, so that, effectively, for them what has been fulfilled has been fulfilled. they anticipated.

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Types of deviation

One of the great contributions to labeling theory is the one made by Edwin Lemert, a prominent sociologist, who established the differentiation between two types of deviations from the norm: the primary and the secondary. This classification offers a deeper perspective of the theory by allowing us to discriminate between two very different ways of perceiving non-compliance with a norm.

On the one hand, the primary deviation or main deviation would be referring to that type of behavior that a person performs and that would be transgressing a certain norm, but it would not be enough for him to consider himself a "deviant" (using the term referring to the norm), nor for others to consider him So.

What the main deviation is referring to is that breach of the norm that can be carried out any person, whether or not he belongs to the majority group, but who does not imply a tendency, that is, who This is an isolated event and therefore does not reflect his usual attitude, so you would not have an anticipated negative view of this person..

On the other hand, there would be secondary deviation, which would refer to all that behavior contrary to the norm that would entail a labeling of the author as deviating from the norm by the bulk of the population, which would also generate in the person a perception different about itself, a product of said labeling that others make of it, for which it has very important implications, since that the individual himself experiences a change in self-perception.

the stigma

It is here, with the concept of secondary deviation, where the labeling theory would have to do with stigmata, understood as a negative classification that a population performs on a individual. This is a concept defined by Erving Goffman, another of the most prominent authors in Sociology of the mid-20th century., so it can be considered as another of the parents of the labeling theory.

The issue of stigma is very important, because it is so powerful that it becomes more relevant than the person himself, in such a way that once the person deviates from the norm and acquired a certain label, will go to see each of the acts carried out from that moment through that stigma that has been assigned to it, causing social rejection continued.

Criminology

The labeling theory has great relevance in many criminology studies, since stigma, through the self-fulfilling prophecy mechanism that we had seen previously, can cause that the person is pigeonholed and acts as they have been classified, in the case of criminology, as a criminal.

This process can occur because of the rejection given by those who define themselves as the majority, for which reason the individual can go on to seek the approval of other individuals who, like him, share the category of delinquents, encouraging the repetition of these behaviors in the future. This is a theory proposed by sociologist Robert King Merton.

This circle of stigma occurs in many other areas, not just with criminal behavior. For this reason, it is important to stop and reconsider the power of the labels that we continually put on, because we can be driving, without being aware of it, that some people fall into bad habits because of a disproportionate rejection that has caused a specific behavior, causing it to reproduce itself, which is just the opposite of what we would actually like it will happen.

In fact, many crime prevention programs are based on reversing this vicious cycle, trying to destroy the labels that many people have received, promoting repair behaviors for the behavior that caused the loop, and working so that both the self-concept that the individual has as the concept that society has of him, evolve towards another that leaves behind the negative aspect that had been assigned to him and that was so complicated for him to abandon.

Psychological disorders

Another of the areas where historically the phenomenon of stigmatization due to deviation has occurred the most Secondary, according to the terminology of the labeling theory, would be in everything related to pathologies psychological. And it is that many of these disorders involve a series of behaviors that cause social rejection, either due to fear, ignorance or for other reasons, causing the isolation of these people, who suffer doubly from their ailment, for this reason.

The first author to refer to this problem was Thomas J. Scheff via his post being mentally ill, where he affirms that the label of mentally ill is placed by society itself, and not by the psychological pathology itself. The problem is that when classifying the person with the name of the corresponding disease, they are already predisposes to behave in a certain way, provoking, once again, a prophecy self-actualized

Seeing the repercussions that the use of these terms can have on people's lives, it would be important that we all know in depth the mechanisms of the labeling theory in order to minimize the effects that we can unconsciously produce when using labels that become stigmata. Society is made up of all individuals, so it is a shared responsibility to ensure the well-being of all fellow human beings.

Bibliographic references:

• Becker, H.S. (1963). Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of deviance. New York. The Free Press.
• Klein, M.W. (1986). Labeling theory and delinquency policy: An experimental test. Criminal Justice and Behavior. SAGE Journals.
• Link, B.G., Cullen, F.T., Struening, E., Shrout, P.E., Dohrenwend, B.P. (1989). A modified labeling theory approach to mental disorders: An empirical assessment. American Sociological Association.
• Scheff, T.J. (1971). Being mentally ill: A sociological theory. New Brunswick. Aldine Transaction.