The Labelling Theory Essay -- Psychology, Deviant Behavior

The main aim of this show is to make two general theories of offending and then consider the extent to which they develop youth offending. This essay pull up stakes firstly outline the context of the labelling possible action then go on to discuss the way in which a label becomes a persons master status in life. The essay leave alone then compare the differences with primary and secondary deflexion and define the term self fulfilling prophecy. The second stage of the essay will describe the learning possibility, explaining the background including all the terms, classical learn, operant conditioning and mixer learning theory. Furthermore, it will then go on to seek the research and describe the extent to which both theories explain youth offending. Finally, the essay will compare and contrast the two theories and evaluate any of the assets or implications. The labelling theory became dominant in spite of appearance society during the 1940s and 1950s, when a classify of graduate students from the Chicago school tried a different salute to applying theory to deviant deportment. Within this group was a highly influential young man, Howard S.Becker who became the person most recognised for his work with the labelling of crime (Williams.F. McShaneM. 2010.p110). Becker argued that labels could be applied through the social reaction of others when a deviant or criminal act had been committed he stated that Labelling is the process of identifying, categorising and stereotyping social categories such as delinquents (Davies.M.et.al.2010.p30). When an individual becomes labelled a criminal, people do not consider all the praiseworthy things they may have do previously, they just see that they have committed some form of digression and are now judged within societ... ...more stimulus for the individual to learn from (Williams.F. McShane.M.2010.p241). Furthermore, optical aberration within the labelling theory is defined through societys norms and ord ers, where as the optical aberration within the learning theory is imitation of deviance from society. To conclude this essay, it would be safe to say that the labelling theory and the learning theory both have great powers over young peoples lives, possibly because of their vulnerability and the way they perceive different behaviour within society. With criminal and deviant acts being formed and constructed by society, then behaviour displayed by a young person will inevitably be labelled if they do not live up to the norms and values that are in place. However, as the essay explains young people will gather characteristics of deviance from societys influential structures.