Labeling theory examines what happens to criminals after society has labeled them deviant. The term deviant is subjective in the eyes of conforming members of society, who interpret certain behaviors as deviant and then attach this label to individuals. This determines the distinction between deviance and non-deviant behavior. Being labeled can have a tremendous effect on an individual's self-image, this can result in the individual rejecting themselves, and result in more deviant behavior as a result of the label.
In the 1960’s, Howard Becker an American Sociologist developed labeling theory and applied it to studying deviant behavior. In the 1963 book titled Outsiders Becker first book discussing labeling theory, Becker explains : “social groups create deviance by making rules whose infarct creates deviance, and by applying those roles to particular people and labeling them as outsiders. From this point of view, deviance is not a quality …show more content…
The Agnew strain theory examines deviances on the micro level or the individual level of crime. Agnew examined deviances as an adaptation to strain and identified three types of strain that produce deviances (Agnew, 1985). The first strain is the inability to achieve positively valued goals. This follows the idea of an individual's expectations and with failure to achieve the valued goal comes disappointment. The second strain is the removal or the threat to remove positively valued stimuli. An individual could feel this strain from losing a loved one, moving or changing school, the loss of materialistic items. The last strain is the confrontation of negative stimuli. This could deal with interactions with law enforcement, parents or other authoritative figures that produce negative stimuli for the
In the 1960’s, Howard Becker an American Sociologist developed labeling theory and applied it to studying deviant behavior. In the 1963 book titled Outsiders Becker first book discussing labeling theory, Becker explains : “social groups create deviance by making rules whose infarct creates deviance, and by applying those roles to particular people and labeling them as outsiders. From this point of view, deviance is not a quality …show more content…
The Agnew strain theory examines deviances on the micro level or the individual level of crime. Agnew examined deviances as an adaptation to strain and identified three types of strain that produce deviances (Agnew, 1985). The first strain is the inability to achieve positively valued goals. This follows the idea of an individual's expectations and with failure to achieve the valued goal comes disappointment. The second strain is the removal or the threat to remove positively valued stimuli. An individual could feel this strain from losing a loved one, moving or changing school, the loss of materialistic items. The last strain is the confrontation of negative stimuli. This could deal with interactions with law enforcement, parents or other authoritative figures that produce negative stimuli for the