CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Critically Analysis of Outsiders: Studies in Sociology of Deviance by Howard Becker

Outsiders: Studies in Sociology of Deviance by Howard Becker

This paper summerisez the commentary made by Howard Becker on the labeling of deviance, as described in Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance (1963). Howard Becker developed his theory of labeling (also known as social reaction theory) in the 1963 book Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance. Becker's theory evolved during a period of social and political power struggle that was amplified within the world of the college campus.

The social group creates deviance. The group makes the rule and then applies it to the person labelling that person and 'outsider.' Even though there is a connection between norm violation and being labeled deviant, it need not be a direct one. For example, in order for someone to be labeled a shoplifter there must be a norm prohibiting shoplifting. If private property did not exist, shoplifting would not exist and neither could the deviant label of shoplifter. Just because a norm does exist does not mean everybody labeled shoplifter has actually violated the norm. There is a basic difference between rule breakers/rule breaking behavior and deviants/ deviant behavior. The term deviant is reserved for those who have had the label successfully applied to him and deviant behavior is that behavior so labeled regardless of whether or not any norms had actually been violated. An example of this might be people who have been placed in mental institutions and labeled mentally ill when they were really only hard of hearing, a case of the 'bum rap.'

Becker (1963) agrees with Lemert's theory that the study of deviance should focus more on an individual's response to the reactions of social control agents to primary acts of deviance. Becker also introduces a notion that a development process precedes the attainment of a deviant identity or career. He believes that self-perception is derived from the responses of others to a person's behaviour, and that being labeled may produce a self-fulfilling prophecy, in which the deviant identification becomes a controlling self-concept. (Horowitz, 2009: 385-387)

As a result, when an individual is labeled as deviant they may be rejected by social groups such as family and friends, ultimately leading to further deviant acts. The deviant identity or career is complete when an individual integrates into a deviant group or sub-culture; subsequently, confirming and accepting their new status within society (Becker 1963:25). An example of this is a juvenile becoming involved in a gang or deviant subculture as a result ofbeing excluded from their conventional groups due to a primary act of deviance. (Kitsuse, 2010: 247-256)

According to Howard Becker (1963), labelling theory was not conceived as the sole explanation for deviance; its proponents merely hoped to focus more attention on the undeniably important actions of those people officially in charge of defining deviance. The sociology of deviance has been an integral part of the study of sociologists because of its impact on the well-being of ...