INTERACTIONIST PERSPECITVE IN THE STUDY OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR OR 'WHO SAYS I'M A CROOK' (FROM READINGS IN DEVIANT BEHAVIOR, 1973 BY DENZEL E BENSON - SEE NCJ-25001)

• NCJ Number: 25002
• Author(s): D E BROWN
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 18 pages
• Corporate Author: MSS Information Corporation
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Historical Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE 'LABELING THEORY' OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR IS TRACED, AND THE BASIC TENETS OF THIS PREDOMINANT FOCUS IN THE STUDY OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR ARE OUTLINED.

Abstract

THE ORIGINS OF THIS THEORY IN TANNENBAUM'S WORK ON CRIME AND THE COMMUNITY ARE FIRST DISCUSSED. SUBSEQUENT WORKS DEALING WITH THIS THEORY, SUCH AS LEMERT'S THEORY ON SOCIAL PATHOLOGY AND THE WORKS OF KITSUSE AND ERIKSON ARE ALSO CITED. LABELING THEORY IS THEN DEFINED. IT IS STATED THAT IF SOCIETY OR INDIVIDUALS DEFINE ACTS BY SOME PERSON AS IN SOME SENSE DEVIANT, AND COMMUNICATE THIS JUDGMENT TO THAT PERSON, THIS EVALUATION OF THE PERSON'S ACTIONS MAY CHANGE THE FUTURE PATTERN OF HIS ACTIONS SUCH THAT SOCIETY DEFINES THEM AS PROGRESSIVELY MORE DEVIANT. FURTHER IMPLICATIONS OF THIS THEORY ARE BRIEFLY INDICATED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)