Firstly, according to Wellford (1975) the theory states that no acts are inherently criminal, and states that acts are only criminal when society considers them to be so. Labelling theory however has many inherent drawbacks. It has occurred only when both the society and individual consider him or her to be a criminal or a deviant. Although in most cases secondary deviance will be accomplished in which the person accepts the label of criminal and begins to associate with similarly branded people, losing contact with friends who conform to societies rules (Becker, 1963 cited in Labelling Theory). It becomes so extreme that it becomes their one and only status.įoster et al, 1972 say that in certain unique cases, the label of ‘criminal’ may force an individual to integrate back into society and try and try and show them that the criminal act he or she committed was a mistake and will not happen again (cited in Labelling theory). All their other associations and labels such as that of parent, employee, and so on take a back seat. This effect is so profound that Becker states that individuals with this label begin to be associated with the word criminal. He mentions that once a person has the label of ‘criminal’ associated with him or her it becomes stuck with them and acts as a constant label. Becker pays particular attention to how people and society react and operate with others who have the ‘criminal’ label. This is the most debated part of the labelling theory brought about by him. Therefore Becker says that personal motives and the influence by society has nothing to do with criminal behaviour. What matters was the type of people going through the criminal justice system. He therefore suggested that the actual act is impertinent to the theory. Becker proposed that criminal behaviour is dynamic in nature and changes throughout time. He is also responsible for coining the term ‘moral entrepreneur’ which is a term used to describe law making officials who get certain ‘criminal behaviour’ illegal. Howard Becker (1963) is held to be the architect of the modern labelling theory. They then accept themselves as being criminal as use it to counter (either by moving with similar peer groups or by other means) society’s reaction to the initial act. The secondary deviance phase usually begins when a person has accepted the ‘criminal’ label. Lemert states that there are exceptions and people continue to stay in the primary phase, an example would be someone who rationalizes that the so called ‘criminal’ act is legal as it is necessary for them to survive and earn money (an exotic dancer would be an example). The object of whether a person views himself or herself as a criminal is what differentiates between the primary and secondary deviant phases. If the person views themselves as a criminal then the secondary deviant phase has begun. The main point of view is whether he or she has accepted the criminal label. He or she is then labelled criminal but has yet to accept the label. According to Lemert, the primary deviance phase begins with a criminal act. The second is known as the Secondary deviance phase. The first phase is known as the Primary deviance phase. His theory basically states that a person experiences social deviance in two phases. This theory is widely credited to be the forerunner of the present day labelling theory. Erwin Lamert (1951) founded the “societal Reaction” theory. He stated that if a person is described as being a criminal then he automatically becomes one. His main concept was the ‘dramatization of evil’. Tannenbaum (1938) is widely regarded as the first labelling theorist. This essay will go on to show the origins of labelling theory, the theory itself and will show its strengths and weaknesses using various case-studies and examples. Labeling theory was quite popular in the 1960s and early 1970s, but then fell into decline-partly as a result of the mixed results of empirical research. Labelling theorists studied the various interactions between the ‘criminal’ groups and individuals and the conformist society. Labelling theory and its theorists focus on the groups and/or individuals who were deemed to be criminal and labelled thus by society. Share this: Facebook Twitter Reddit LinkedIn WhatsApp
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