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Sociology vocabulary · Deviance and Social Control

Labelling theory

Meaning in sociology, with examples

nounCommon term

In sociology, labelling theory means: The theory that deviance is created when people with power successfully label certain acts or individuals as deviant, which can lead the labelled person to accept that identity.

In Turkish: etiketleme kuramı, etiketleme teorisi

How it is used

Associated with Howard Becker's Outsiders (1963) and Edwin Lemert's distinction between primary and secondary deviance. It belongs to the interactionist tradition. Key ideas include the self-fulfilling prophecy and the deviant career.

Example sentences

  1. Labelling theory suggests that a pupil who is called a troublemaker may start to act like one.

  2. Critics say labelling theory explains reactions to crime better than its original causes.

Common collocations

  • labelling theory of deviance
  • apply a label
  • self-fulfilling prophecy
  • secondary deviance
  • devianceBehaviour, beliefs or characteristics that break the norms of a group or society and lead to disapproval or punishment, whether or not they are against the law.
  • stigmaA mark of disgrace attached to a characteristic, condition or identity, which leads other people to see a person as less acceptable or less normal.
  • symbolic interactionismA theoretical approach that studies how people create and share meanings in everyday interaction, using symbols such as language and gestures.
  • social controlThe formal and informal ways a society encourages people to follow its norms and discourages deviance, from laws and the police to gossip and disapproval.

More terms: Deviance and Social Control

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