One topic I found particularly interesting in Chapter 8 was the labeling theory. The labeling theory, by definition, is the process of being singled out, defined, and reacted to as deviant changes a person in the eyes of others and has important life consequences for the individual. Once the label sticks, others may react to the labeled deviant with rejection, suspicion, withdrawal, fear, mistrust, and hatred.
The labeling theory is a serious topic and can have serious actions along with it. When someone is given a label, it will most definitely stick. In many instances, these labels are overgeneralized and subject to only a small minority of those being labeled. There are countless occasions in which someone is grouped in with others and wrongfully labeled as a deviant, just because he or she is associated with a deviant group.
Those who receive the brunt of the sticky labels are those who have committed acts that are unlawful or portrayed as normal by society, such as rapists, murderers, burglars, and drug dealers. Although these people have been (potentially) convicted of their respective crimes, it does not mean that are terrible, deviant people. In some cases it is possible that they were wrongly accused or it was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. These people, through jail and other forms of service, have paid their debt to society. We do not need to further their burden and prolong their agony by placing a label on them that will stick forever.
It is stated in the text that "many employers believe that prisons do not rehabilitate but actually makes convicts more deviant...." Typically, as a society, when we see someone leaving prison, we view them as someone who WILL re-offend. I believe that by placing this label on them, we are increasing the chance that this will happen. We don't give them the chance or show a positive mentality that they most definitely have the opportunity to start over and move on from their past. However, by labeling them, we are essentially giving up on them. They see that we don't care about how and what they can bring to our society, that we can only see them as scum. In my experiences, it is more difficult to succeed when no one has faith in you. Lack of faith from others will lead to lack of faith in oneself, eventually dooming them to follow old habits.
We as a society have great difficulty in overlooking one's flaws. As an example, a high school sophomore girl goes to a party, gets wasted, and ends up sleeping with a guy. Tales of the night instantly spread, creating labels such as a "drunk", "slut" and "easy" for this sophomore girl. This was the girl's first time drinking and having sex. Does this one instance provide enough validity to label this girl as a drunk slut? Sure her behavior was deviant, but people make mistakes. She may never live down this moment and the label can follow her through the rest of her high school years. We are human; we make mistakes. One instance should not stick someone with a label and potentially change where they were heading in life. Overlooking another's mistakes is an extremely difficult thing to do; I have experienced difficulty with it lately, but it is possible to do.
It is my belief that we as a society have the ability to eliminate the use of the labeling theory, as used in a negative manner. Positive understanding and encouragement have the ability to provide those previously affected by labels to overcome their stickiness and turn over a new leaf. Mistakes will be made and labels will be created, but society has the ability to rip off the stickiness and overlook what has happened in the past.
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