What is labelling theory? Outline the advantages and disadvantages of a label.
Labelling theory is a sociological approach to the study of deviance, it emphasises the ways in which rule breaking and role failure are maintained by the reactions of others, and it’s focus is on the importance of the symbolic meanings of health and illness (Pilgrim, 2014). Diagnosis of mental illness has turned out to be progressively reified that is, Individuals are being labelled and are seen as being mentally ill as opposed to having a mental illness. Unfortunately, negative labelling are associated with mental illness, which may lead to tragic consequences for the sufferer. As indicated by the labelling theory, the stigma of being labelled as mentally ill …show more content…
Many individuals labelled with this mental illness are pushed away from society and are alienated. People with mental health problems are considered unpredictable, unable to work and to make decisions, unintelligent, weak and aggressive. Stereotypes all that do not correspond to reality, but that influences attitudes and behaviours that others have towards them. This stigma and discrimination as a result are the main barrier for the recovery, well-being and, ultimately to have a normal life. Many sufferers are seen as not being able to work and many of these individuals prefer to isolate themselves from society because of fear of being discriminated. Some of the date collected by a survey suggested that 44.9% of landlords wouldn’t rent a house to mental health sufferers because they were seen as dangerous. The media also contributed to this generalisation since 51% of the mental health sufferers where convicted of criminal activity. This label only just makes it harder for the mental sufferers to recover, many of them might be just normal and because of these generalisations they tend to become depress and more …show more content…
The labelling theory helps us understand the consequences a label can become to have. Reflecting back on the course Labelling can help us explain and understand why sometimes we need counselling and psychotherapy, and seek professional advice and help. Depending on the label it can harm them psychologically and it can lead to them becoming more isolated from the rea world as they feel rejected. In this case mental health. Many individuals may suffer from minor mental issues such as anxiety or depression. However, we can argue that these generalisations that people make about people with mental health issues can affect them hugely and make them feel isolated making this minor mental health worse. This will mean the individual will have to seek a way to help themselves get out of that label, through seeking professional advice from counsellors and therapists for reassurance and treatment. Therapy can be helpful for people with mental health problems to create critical thinking skills and to teach them and encourage them to seek the help they need to and to help them bring an end to their label and the self-fulfilling prophecy it has created. Therapists can help patients manage stress and various topics related to emotions and behaviour. As described in the essay sufferers with health problems are labelled daily. This label can become damaging for someone’s mental health; for
Labelling theory is a sociological approach to the study of deviance, it emphasises the ways in which rule breaking and role failure are maintained by the reactions of others, and it’s focus is on the importance of the symbolic meanings of health and illness (Pilgrim, 2014). Diagnosis of mental illness has turned out to be progressively reified that is, Individuals are being labelled and are seen as being mentally ill as opposed to having a mental illness. Unfortunately, negative labelling are associated with mental illness, which may lead to tragic consequences for the sufferer. As indicated by the labelling theory, the stigma of being labelled as mentally ill …show more content…
Many individuals labelled with this mental illness are pushed away from society and are alienated. People with mental health problems are considered unpredictable, unable to work and to make decisions, unintelligent, weak and aggressive. Stereotypes all that do not correspond to reality, but that influences attitudes and behaviours that others have towards them. This stigma and discrimination as a result are the main barrier for the recovery, well-being and, ultimately to have a normal life. Many sufferers are seen as not being able to work and many of these individuals prefer to isolate themselves from society because of fear of being discriminated. Some of the date collected by a survey suggested that 44.9% of landlords wouldn’t rent a house to mental health sufferers because they were seen as dangerous. The media also contributed to this generalisation since 51% of the mental health sufferers where convicted of criminal activity. This label only just makes it harder for the mental sufferers to recover, many of them might be just normal and because of these generalisations they tend to become depress and more …show more content…
The labelling theory helps us understand the consequences a label can become to have. Reflecting back on the course Labelling can help us explain and understand why sometimes we need counselling and psychotherapy, and seek professional advice and help. Depending on the label it can harm them psychologically and it can lead to them becoming more isolated from the rea world as they feel rejected. In this case mental health. Many individuals may suffer from minor mental issues such as anxiety or depression. However, we can argue that these generalisations that people make about people with mental health issues can affect them hugely and make them feel isolated making this minor mental health worse. This will mean the individual will have to seek a way to help themselves get out of that label, through seeking professional advice from counsellors and therapists for reassurance and treatment. Therapy can be helpful for people with mental health problems to create critical thinking skills and to teach them and encourage them to seek the help they need to and to help them bring an end to their label and the self-fulfilling prophecy it has created. Therapists can help patients manage stress and various topics related to emotions and behaviour. As described in the essay sufferers with health problems are labelled daily. This label can become damaging for someone’s mental health; for