Labeling theory, in criminology, a theory stemming from a sociological perspective known as ‘symbolic interactionism,’ a school of thought based on the ideas of George Herbert Mead, John Dewey, W.I. …

Labeling theory posits that self-identity and the behavior of individuals may be determined or influenced by the terms used to describe or classify them. It is associated with the concepts of self-fulfilling …

Oct 13, 2025 · Labeling perspective (or labeling theory) is an important sociological approach that looks at how society defines certain people and behavious as “normal” or “deviant”, and how those …

Apr 29, 2025 · Explore labeling theory in sociology—what it means, how it works, and examples of how societal labels influence identity, behavior, and deviance.

Labeling theory is a sociological and criminological theory that says that a strong, negative societal reaction to an individual's wrongdoing can lead the individual to become more deviant.

Labeling theory is defined as the concept that deviance is not inherent to an act but is a consequence of the societal application of rules and sanctions to individuals labeled as offenders, leading to …

Jul 2, 2025 · Labeling theory, a central tenet within sociological thought, examines how the assignment of labels to individuals, groups, or behaviors – akin to assigning metadata tags in a database – …

Sep 7, 2024 · Labeling theory posits that our identities and behaviors are shaped by how others label us and interact with us based on the label applied.

Labeling theory is a sociological and psychological concept that explains how individuals come to identify and behave in ways that reflect the labels assigned to them by society.

Sociologist Howard Becker is credited with the most influential formulation of labeling theory, which appears in his book Outsiders (1973). According to Becker, deviance is not an intrinsic feature of …