SOCIOL 2CC3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Symbolic Interactionism, Labeling Theory, Rational Agent
8 Mar 2019
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Tuesday, February 6, 2018
Lecture #4
Symbolic Interactionism & Labeling Theory
Symbolic Interactionism and Labeling Theory!
- Positivist perspectives (recap):!
- Understood deviance as a product of biology, society or environment!
- Result of social strain and structural factors!
- Concern with causes of deviance !
- Tend to essentials → assume primary/essential characteristic that causes
people to become deviant!
- Treat as natural, a condition or property of individuals and things !
- Are macro approaches!
- Focus on large, determining social structures!
- Ignore the role of the active, thinking individual !
!
Labeling Theory!
- Emerged as a leading approach to study of deviance in 1960’s!
- Many influences: !
- Scottish moralist & American Pragmatist philosophies (enlightenment theories about
nature of man)!
- GH Mead’s theory of relationship between self and society → self is a result of the
social!
- Lemert and Tannenbaum !
- Reacted against dominant sociological theories of deviance!
- Merton’s anomie!
- Sutherland’s differential association (early Chicago School) !
- Reaction against Positivism involved following criticisms:!
- Failed to consider reactions to deviance !
- As an aspect of deviance!
- Or as a casual factor!
- As a macro approach was limited!
- Examined society from top down!
- Concerned with social structures and institutions → how imposed upon and
constrained individuals!
- Society as an over-determining and constraining force upon individual!
- No place for the active, rational actor!
- This is an over-socialized view of human activity !
- Labeling theorists !
- Becker, Lemert, Kitsuse called for shift away from traditional positivist concerns !
- ex. Causes and structuring/determining forces !
- Called for an approach that focused on:!
- How deviance is created and interpreted!
- How rules and typifications create and classify individuals as deviant!
- How responses of in/formal agents of social control, community, and society
create deviance !
- Impact of deviant labels on individual’s sense of self and ID!
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Tuesday, February 6, 2018
- Labeling perspective has its origins in Symbolic Interactionism !
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Symbolic Interactionism!
- Micro level theoretical perspective → units of analysis are individuals and small groups!
- Approach addresses how society is created and maintained !
- Via repeated meaningful and negotiated interaction!
- Central idea: individuals use language and symbols in communication with others!
- Focus on interpretation of subjective meanings/viewpoints !
- How individuals make sense of their world from own unique perspective !
- SI approach involves 4 basic tenets: !
1. Individual’s act based on the meanings objects have for them!
2. Interaction occurs within particular social and cultural contexts!
- Objects and situations must be defined/categorized on individual meanings!
- Meanings can be multiple and are contextual → change!
3. Meanings emerge from interactions with others and with society!
4. Meanings are continuously created and recreated (always subject to change)!
- Via interpretation process during interaction with others !
- Meanings:!
- Are intersubjective → are common-sense agreements between individuals!
- Are negotiated and continually reinterpreted among individuals!
- No meaning is inherent in individuals/objects that actors confront!
- Meanings are attributed to individuals/objects (we give things meaning)!
- Herbert Blumer:!
- Devised the term “symbolic interactionism”!
- Made sociological Mead’s social behaviourist philosophy → how the self is a
social construction !
- Laid groundwork for new theoretical paradigm!
- Challenged existing conceptualizations of epistemology (how knowledge is
generated; interpretations) and methodology !
- Like Mead, Blumer regarded individuals as practical actors!
- Are constantly engaged in mindful action!
- Manipulate symbols and negotiate meanings of situations !
- Behaviour an idiosyncratic way of reacting to an interpretation of the situation!
- To understand social behaviour, must adopt an interpretive perspective!
- Because behaviour is unpredictable, constantly influx, unique to every social
encounter !
- Approach conceptualized relationship between individual and society as
interconnected, rather than as discrete entities → individuals create society!
- Both constantly in flux !
- Society is an ongoing indeterminate process of action!
- Is not a self-perpetuating structure with a life of its own!
- Social institutions are social habits that occurred within specific situations !
!
Labeling Theory (LT) of Deviance!
- For labeling theorists:!
- Deviance is not simply a straightforward violation of social norms!
- Many factors mediate → whose norms, actors involved !
- Contextual .. always exceptions to the rule!
- Concern is not whether the behaviour itself is deviant!
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Document Summary
Understood deviance as a product of biology, society or environment. Result of social strain and structural factors. Tend to essentials assume primary/essential characteristic that causes people to become deviant. Treat as natural, a condition or property of individuals and things. Ignore the role of the active, thinking individual. Emerged as a leading approach to study of deviance in 1960"s. Scottish moralist & american pragmatist philosophies (enlightenment theories about nature of man) Gh mead"s theory of relationship between self and society self is a result of the social. Reacted against dominant sociological theories of deviance. Concerned with social structures and institutions how imposed upon and constrained individuals. Society as an over-determining and constraining force upon individual. No place for the active, rational actor. This is an over-socialized view of human activity. Becker, lemert, kitsuse called for shift away from traditional positivist concerns. Called for an approach that focused on: How rules and typi cations create and classify individuals as deviant.
