SOCI 210 Lecture Notes - Lecture 21: Symbolic Interactionism, Labeling Theory, Social Inequality
6 Nov 2018
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Department
Course
Professor
Deviance - part 2
Explanations of deviance
Symbolic interactionism
Stresses the meaning that individuals bring to their actions
rather than institutions functions
We agree that stealing, trespassing and vandalizing is
wrong
§
○
Beliefs and assumptions people bring into their interactions and
surroundings
○
Allows us to look at the subgroups rather than seeing society as
all encompassing
Dr. Phil
The man in a polygamous relationship
□
Considered deviant because it violates the
established norms on the audience's monogamous
beliefs
□
§
There are subgroups that won't agree to certain norms
§
○
Individuals themselves aren't deviant, social groups create
deviance
Setting the rules
§
Labelling wrong doers as outsiders
§
○
Labeling theory
Belief that people subconsciously notice how others see or
label them and that their reactions to those labels
overtime form the basis of their self-identity
§
Consequences for the individuals
Labels tend to stick
□
Self-fulfilling prophecy
□
§
Primary
Occurs when an initial, random act of deviance gets
labelled as deviant
□
Kid at school gets pulled into the fight and gets
labeled as a bully
□
§
Secondary
Occurs when subsequent acts of deviance happen
because of the initial act
□
Internalization and treatment from label □
§
Consequences for others and their behaviours towards
someone who has been labelled as deviant
Study
8 adults with no background in mental illness
®
Put in psychiatric hospital to say they hear
voices
®
They get labelled as schizophrenic
®
They are told to behave normally
®
They found that their behaviours later didn't
matter because of the initial label
®
□
§
○
•
Becoming a marihuana user
Howard ("Howie") Becker: Labeling theory•
Social, rather than individual, explanation for behaviour (drug use)
that is labeled as deviant
•
Turning 'abuse' to 'use'•
3 steps
Learning to smoke that causes physical effects
○
Learning to recognize those effects and connect them with the
drug use
○
Learning to enjoy the sensation perceived
○
•
Experience requires input from others•
Deviance and social inequality
Race, class and crime•
Deviance, labeling and reproduction of entrenched social inequalities•
Link between deviance, the welfare state and social change•
Excerpt from film "Meet the Fokkens" (2012)
Work as a potential site for the labeling of deviant behaviours
○
Lessen socially unequal outcomes
○
Not labeling an occupation (sex work) as criminal
Can provide people with health care
§
Unemployment
§
Pension
§
Etc
§
○
•
Lecture 21
Thursday, November 16, 2017
10:01 AM
Document Summary
Stresses the meaning that individuals bring to their actions rather than institutions functions. We agree that stealing, trespassing and vandalizing is wrong. Beliefs and assumptions people bring into their interactions and surroundings. Allows us to look at the subgroups rather than seeing society as all encompassing. Considered deviant because it violates the established norms on the audience"s monogamous beliefs. There are subgroups that won"t agree to certain norms. Individuals themselves aren"t deviant, social groups create deviance. Belief that people subconsciously notice how others see or label them and that their reactions to those labels overtime form the basis of their self-identity. Occurs when an initial, random act of deviance gets labelled as deviant. Kid at school gets pulled into the fight and gets. Kid at school gets pulled into the fight and gets labeled as a bully. Occurs when subsequent acts of deviance happen because of the initial act.
