House Labeling Theory Essay

For this assignment I watched the TV show House. I only counted about 3 truly deviant acts in this episode which did surprise me because House is known for being a consistently deviant person. One example in this episode was blackmail. House blackmailed a fellow doctor just to get some leverage on him and enforce that House was superior. Normally, the police would be involved in any kind of blackmail attempt but the other doctor didn’t seem too phased by it as House was just like that and he always wins. Another blatantly deviant act House commits throughout the entire episode and series is popping pills that he shouldn’t have in that quantity and in front of others. It’s almost like this show has neutralized drug abuse in the work place because it makes House a better doctor. He has …show more content…
Labeling theory really seems to explain House’s deviance to me. All his life House has been labeled a rebel, a drug addict and a criminal but then is told that that is what makes him a good doctor. I feel like it’s a never ending cycle of enabling this label of being a drug addict or criminal because that’s just “how he is.” Which is an idea often stated in the show. His coworkers encourage the fact that he is a great doctor but only a great doctor when he’s on drugs and acting like lunatic so then house continues to use and act like a lunatic to be that great doctor. I think these labels will continue to stick to House his whole life and if one day he gets clean I think he’s still going to be seen as an addict and a criminal no matter what he does. It could be a good thing or a bad thing but I doubt he’ll ever be able to shake these labels and some of the stigma that goes with it. Though this is just a TV show, it really puts the idea out there that you can be an amazing worker and be a raging drug addict and a criminal, which isn’t exactly something that should be portrayed as a good