This perceived Radical Sociological Perspective know as The Labeling Perspective was Developed in the 1960’s. The Word Deviant has been Miss Used and thus Misunderstood for Many Years now. Being Deviant doesn’t mean the Person is a Criminal, Mentally Unstable, that a Person is some sort of Scumbag, or that They should be looked Down Upon in some Way. Unfortunately the General public has come to Assume that is Exactly. Again this is mainly due to HEAVY MISUSE of the Word by Members of Society without fully Understanding its actual Definition.
It’s NOT the Behavior Itself, BUT the Reaction To the Behavior that Creates Deviance. It is NOT something about the Person being Deviant, BUT rather about the Definition of what is Deviant. What is considered to be Deviant varies from Society to Society, and What is considered Deviant can Change over time. Bottom Line: Deviance is in the Eye of the Beholder.
The Labeling Perspective States:
- A Person is Labeled or Deemed Deviant, and Most often by a Person or Persons in a Position of Authority.
- OTHERS view the Person Labeled as Indeed being Deviant. This is referred to as the Societal Acceptance of Deviance.
- The Alleged “Deviant” begins to Accept the Label of Deviant. This is referred to as Internalization of Self-Concept.
- The Person ends up Believing He or She IS Deviant/a Deviant. This is Referred to as Secondary Deviance or simply put YOU decide YOUR Deviant.
Thanks for Reading,
Presented By Les Sober