SOC 1500 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Labeling Theory, Structural Marxism, Political Crime

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 1500
• Professor: Stephanie Howells

Document Summary

Individual level - labelling theory began in 1960s. Reaction - not deviant until it is reacted to as such - deviant acts are in the eye of the beholder. Informal labelling - labelling that your friends, family do (smart one, funny one) Formal labelling - labelling done by official agents of social control - doctor, teacher, cop, judge, lawyer, psychiatrist - usually has more severe consequences. Defined vs. definers - those who get labelled have a lower social status and less social power than those who are the definers, and get to define the labels. Power - not economic, not wealth, more position like job, could be social power, influencing. The process that lowers a persons social status publicly. Ceremony - one social status/identity to the next, often the new status is negative or lower than the first. Purpose: to shame that person for violating a law, rule, or norm.