SOC 2106 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Social Constructionism, Labeling Theory
22 Jan 2018
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Document Summary
We interact with people and objects based on the meanings we ascribe to them. Deviance is a label we ascribe to behavior. How people to react to or perceive someone"s behavior determines whether it is deviant. Certain people more likely to be labeled deviant. Individuals define themselves at least in part based on social interactions and perceptions of others (inderbitzin et al. Small and occasional acts of rule-breaking or norm violation. Often begins as a response to one"s deviant label. Self-fulfilling prophecy: when a belief or label influences an individual"s behavior, causing them to live up to the negative label. Master status: core characteristic by which others identify you; a status that proves more important than others. Recap behavior is not inherently deviant; we label it deviant! Power influences the kind of meaning we attach to behavior. Our sense of self is impacted by interactions with others. Negative reactions can lead people to deviate more.
