SOCIOL 2CC3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Symbolic Interactionism, O Tannenbaum, Labeling Theory
30 Apr 2018
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Monday, February 19, 2018
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Lecture 5: Symbolic Interactionism and Labeling Theory
Midterm Review Checklist
• Responsible for understanding these concepts within the Symbolic Interactionism and Labeling
Theory:
O Emergence and Reaction Against
O Labelling Theory Approach including its focuses, its origins, conceptualization of deviance
O Tannenbaum and Dramatization of Evil Theorem
O Lemert’s Primary and Secondary Deviance including details and relationship between each
O Sykes and Matza’s FIVE techniques of neutralization
Labeling Theory
• Emerged as leading approach to study of deviance in 1960s as a reaction to positivist thinking
and structural functionalism
- Reacted against dominance sociological theories of deviance such as Merton’s anomie and
Sutherland’s differential association from early Chicago School
• Theory was built through induction — moving from observations to a theory
• Many influences:
1. Scottish moralist and American pragmatist philosophies
2. Meads theory on the relationship between the self and society
3. Lemert and Tannenbaum
• Positivism was thought to focus too much on the causes of deviance and had the following
criticisms:
1. Failed to consider reactions to deviance
- As an aspect of deviance or as a causal factor
2. A macro approach is limited
- Examined society from the top down
- Concerned with social structures and institutions and how they imposed upon and
constrained an individual
3. Society as an overdetermining and constraining force on an individual
- No place for the active and rational actor since over-socialized view of human activity that
ignores agency of individuals
• Labeling theorists such as Becker, Lemert and Kitsue called for a shift away from traditional
positivist concern
• Instead, they wanted an approached that focused on:
1. How deviance is created and interpreted
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Monday, February 19, 2018
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2. How rules and typifications create and classify individuals as deviant
3. How responses of in/formal agents of social control, community and society create deviance
4. Impact of deviant labels to individuals sense of self and ID including their self-esteem, ego
and who they think they are
• Labeling perspectives has its origins in Symbolic Interactionism
Symbolic Interactionism
• Micro-level theoretical perspective where the units of analysis are individuals and small groups
• Approach addresses how society and social practices is created and maintained through
repeated meaningful and negotiated interaction
- Focus on interpretation of subjective meaning and viewpoints
- How individuals make sense of their world from own unique perspective
• Central idea: Individuals use language and symbols to communicate with others
Four Basic Tenets of Symbolic Interactionism
1. Individuals act based on the meanings objects have for them and knowledge they already
acquire
2. Interaction occurs within a particular social and cultural context
- Objects and situations must be defined and categorized based on individual meanings
- Meanings are multiple and contextual — change
3. Meanings emerge from interactions with others and with society
4. Meanings are continuously created and recreated such as interpretation process during
interaction with others
• Meanings are:
1. Intersubjective
2. Negotiated and continually reinterpreted among individuals
Herbert Blumer — Father of Symbolic Interactionism
• Devised the term Symbolic Interactionism
- Made sociological Mead’s social behaviourist philosophy and how the self is a social
construction
• Laid groundwork for new theoretical paradigm by challenging existing conceptualizations of
epistemology and methodology
• Like Mead and Blumer, regarded individuals as practical actors:
1. Those constantly engaged in mindful action and making sense of ones world
2. Those manipulating symbols and negotiating meanings of situations
3. Their behaviour is an idiosyncratic way of reacting to an interpretation of a situation
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Midterm review checklist: responsible for understanding these concepts within the symbolic interactionism and labeling. O labelling theory approach including its focuses, its origins, conceptualization of deviance. O lemert"s primary and secondary deviance including details and relationship between each. O sykes and matza"s five techniques of neutralization. Labeling theory: emerged as leading approach to study of deviance in 1960s as a reaction to positivist thinking and structural functionalism. Reacted against dominance sociological theories of deviance such as merton"s anomie and. As an aspect of deviance or as a causal factor: a macro approach is limited. Concerned with social structures and institutions and how they imposed upon and constrained an individual: society as an overdetermining and constraining force on an individual. Symbolic interactionism: micro-level theoretical perspective where the units of analysis are individuals and small groups, approach addresses how society and social practices is created and maintained through repeated meaningful and negotiated interaction. Focus on interpretation of subjective meaning and viewpoints.
