NCJ Number
52486
Date Published
1978
Length
14 pages
Annotation
THE THESIS OF THIS PAPER IS THAT THE LABELING APPROACH TO SOCIAL DEVIANCE IS CHARACTERIZED BY A RESEARCH TRADITION THAT HAS ABANDONED ITS LINK WITH DEVELOPMENTS IN SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM.
Abstract
LABELING, WITH ITS ORIGINS IN SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM, BUILDS UPON THE FUNDAMENTAL ASSUMPTION THAT SOCIAL REALITY IS SYMBOLICALLY CONSTRUCTED. THROUGH INTERACTION IN ONGOING SOCIAL ACTIVITIES, DEFINITIONS ARE ACQUIRED THAT HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE IDENTITY AND BEHAVIOR OF PARTICIPANTS. VARIATIONS IN THE EXPOSURE OF INDIVIDUALS TO DEFINITIONS FAVORABLE AND UNFAVORABLE TO NORM VIOLATIONS, ALONG WITH THE COST-REWARD BALANCE ASSOCIATED WITH ACQUIRED BEHAVIOR, ACCOUNT FOR VARIATIONS IN COMMITMENT TO DEVIANCE AND CONFORMITY. THE UNDERLYING ASSUMPTION OF THE INTERACTIONIST APPROACH IS THAT SELF-AWARENESS IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE SYMBOLIC COMMUNICATION OF THE INDIVIDUALS WITH SIGNIFICANT OR REFERENT OTHERS. LABELISTS HAVE CONSTRUCTED THEIR THEORY OF DEVIANCE CAUSATION ON THE BASIS OF PERCEIVING DISAPPROVAL IN THE REACTIONS OF OTHERS AS A SOURCE OF NEGATIVE SELF-EVALUATION. THE LABELING PERSPECTIVE ON SOCIAL DEVIANCE HAS YIELDED ESSENTIALLY TWO DISTINCT RESEARCH EMPHASES. THE FIRST, THE SOCIETAL REACTIONS APPROACH, IS PRIMARILY CONCERNED WITH ORGANIZATIONAL AND INTERPERSONAL RESPONSES TO NONCONFORMITY. THE SECOND FOCUSES ON THE CONSEQUENCES OF STIGMATIZATION FOR THE BEHAVIOR AND IDENTITY OF LABELED DEVIANTS. REFERENT GROUPS, WITH THEIR VALUES, BELIEFS, AND ATTITUDES, DETERMINE THE STANDARDS BY WHICH INDIVIDUALS EVALUATE THEMSELVES. AS PERSONS ARE IDENTIFIED AS DEVIANT BY LEGITIMATE REFERENTS, THEY MAY SHIFT TO GROUPS MORE SYMPATHETIC TO THE DEVIANT IDENTITY. THE PROBLEM OF DEVIANT AND NONDEVIANT ADAPTATIONS TO LABELING CONCERNS MULTIPLE PATTERNS OF INTERACTION WITH PERSONS WHOSE ACCEPTANCE OF DEVIANT ATTRIBUTES AND BEHAVIOR ARE THEMSELVES VARIABLE. REFERENCES ARE CITED. (DEP)