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10.4: Interactionism and the Question of Definition

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    324936
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    From an Interactionist perspective, sociologist Howard Becker advanced the influential concept of labeling theory, arguing that “deviance is not a quality of the act the person commits, but rather a consequence of the application by others of rules and sanctions to an ‘offender’” (1963:9). This theoretical approach emphasizes how individuals and behaviors become categorized as deviant through social processes, and how these labels can become internalized, potentially leading to secondary deviance as individuals adapt to their stigmatized identities. The application of deviant labels is neither random nor uniform; research consistently demonstrates that racial minorities, particularly African Americans, are disproportionately labeled as criminal or deviant across various social institutions, including schools, workplaces, and encounters with law enforcement.


    10.4: Interactionism and the Question of Definition is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.