Labeling Theory and Symbolic Interactionism
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1
What is labeling theory in criminology?
A perspective examining how social reactions, official classifications, and labels can influence identity, opportunities, and subsequent deviant behavior.
2
What is the central question of the labeling perspective?
How and why certain behaviors or individuals become defined as deviant and what consequences follow from that definition.
3
What is symbolic interactionism?
A sociological perspective emphasizing how meanings, identities, and behavior develop through social interaction and interpretation.
4
Who is commonly associated with the foundations of symbolic interactionism?
George Herbert Mead, whose ideas were later developed and named by Herbert Blumer.
5
Who coined the term symbolic interactionism?
Herbert Blumer.
6
How does symbolic interactionism relate to labeling theory?
It explains how socially assigned meanings and identities can influence an individual's self-concept and behavior.
7
Who developed the distinction between primary and secondary deviance?
Edwin M. Lemert.
8
What is primary deviance?
Initial rule-breaking that does not become central to a person's self-identity or established social role.
9
What is secondary deviance?
Deviance that develops or continues partly as a response to societal reactions and the adoption of a deviant identity.
10
What is the principal difference between primary and secondary deviance?
Primary deviance does not fundamentally reorganize identity, while secondary deviance involves behavior linked to social reaction and deviant role formation.
11
What is societal reaction theory?
An approach emphasizing how reactions from authorities and communities help shape definitions and consequences of deviance.
12
Who wrote Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance in 1963?
Howard S. Becker.
13
What was Howard Becker's major contribution to labeling theory?
He emphasized that deviance results partly from the creation and application of social rules and labels.
14
What did Becker mean by the statement that deviance is not simply a quality of the act?
Whether conduct is treated as deviant depends partly on social rules, enforcement, and reactions to the behavior.
15
What is a moral entrepreneur in Becker's theory?
An individual or group actively involved in creating or enforcing rules based on particular moral concerns.
16
What is a rule creator in Becker's classification?
A moral entrepreneur who campaigns to establish or change rules defining acceptable and unacceptable conduct.
17
What is a rule enforcer in Becker's classification?
A person or institution responsible for applying established rules and identifying violations.
18
What is selective labeling?
The unequal application of deviant labels to individuals or groups engaging in similar behavior.
19
What is a master status in labeling theory?
A social identity that becomes dominant in how others perceive and treat an individual, potentially overshadowing other characteristics.
20
What is a deviant career?
A process through which repeated experiences, social reactions, and identity changes contribute to continued participation in deviant roles.
21
What is a self-fulfilling prophecy?
A process in which an expectation influences behavior or social responses in ways that help bring about the expected outcome.
22
How can a criminal label contribute to a self-fulfilling prophecy?
Stigma and restricted legitimate opportunities may encourage social exclusion and continued involvement in deviant networks.
23
What is stigmatization?
The process of assigning a discrediting social characteristic that can produce prejudice, exclusion, or unequal treatment.
24
Who wrote the influential book Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity?
Erving Goffman.
25
What is spoiled identity in Goffman's analysis?
A social identity that becomes discredited because others attach negative meanings to a particular characteristic.
26
What is the difference between enacted stigma and anticipated stigma?
Enacted stigma involves experienced discrimination or mistreatment; anticipated stigma involves expecting such treatment.
27
What is the dramatization of evil?
Frank Tannenbaum's concept describing how social reactions can transform an initial act of misconduct into a defining identity for the person.
28
Who introduced the concept of dramatization of evil?
Frank Tannenbaum.
29
In what influential 1938 book did Tannenbaum discuss the dramatization of evil?
Crime and the Community.
30
What is the central idea of Tannenbaum's dramatization of evil?
Public identification and condemnation of a young offender may reinforce a deviant identity and increase alienation.
31
What is retrospective interpretation in labeling processes?
Reinterpreting a person's earlier behavior negatively after learning of a later deviant act or criminal accusation.
32
What is a degradation ceremony in sociological analysis?
A social process that publicly lowers a person's status by redefining them as morally or socially discredited.
33
Who is associated with the sociological concept of status degradation ceremonies?
Harold Garfinkel.
34
What is a major criticism of labeling theory?
It may explain reactions to offending more effectively than the initial causes of misconduct, and labeling does not inevitably produce further crime.
35
What is reintegrative shaming theory?
A theory proposing that condemnation of wrongdoing can discourage reoffending when accompanied by respect for the person and opportunities for reintegration.
36
Who developed reintegrative shaming theory?
John Braithwaite.
37
What influential book did Braithwaite publish in 1989?
Crime, Shame and Reintegration.
38
What is reintegrative shaming?
Expressing disapproval of wrongful conduct while preserving the person's dignity and facilitating acceptance back into the community.
39
What is stigmatizing shaming?
Condemnation that treats the offender as fundamentally bad and reinforces exclusion or a persistent deviant identity.
40
What is the difference between reintegrative and stigmatizing shaming?
Reintegrative shaming rejects the wrongful act while maintaining social bonds; stigmatizing shaming rejects or excludes the person.
41
How does reintegrative shaming theory relate to restorative justice?
Both may emphasize accountability, acknowledgment of harm, repair of relationships, and reintegration rather than permanent stigmatization.
42
What is the difference between labeling theory and deterrence theory?
Labeling theory emphasizes the consequences of social reactions and identity formation; deterrence theory emphasizes the preventive effects of anticipated sanctions.
43
Scenario: A student commits a minor offense but does not adopt a delinquent identity and continues ordinary school activities. Which concept applies?
Primary deviance.
44
Scenario: A teenager repeatedly called a criminal becomes excluded from school activities and begins identifying with a delinquent group. Which concept applies?
Secondary deviance influenced by stigmatizing labeling.
45
Scenario: Two students commit similar misconduct, but only one receives a lasting delinquent label because of unequal enforcement. What concept is illustrated?
Selective labeling.
46
Scenario: A community condemns a youth's theft, requires restitution, and welcomes the youth back after accountability measures. Which concept applies?
Reintegrative shaming.
47
Scenario: A former offender is repeatedly denied employment solely because of a criminal record despite meeting job qualifications. What labeling-related mechanism may be involved?
Stigmatization and restricted legitimate opportunities.
48
Scenario: A campaign group successfully persuades authorities to classify a previously tolerated activity as prohibited. Which Becker concept applies?
Moral entrepreneurship through rule creation.
49
Scenario: After an arrest, a person's unrelated childhood behavior is reinterpreted as evidence of a lifelong criminal disposition. What process is illustrated?
Retrospective interpretation.
50
Scenario: A correctional program holds participants accountable for harmful conduct while avoiding permanent criminal identities. Which theoretical approach best supports this design?
Reintegrative shaming theory, consistent with restorative and reintegration-oriented practices.
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