SOC 2700 Chapter Notes - Chapter 6: Labeling Theory, Symbolic Interactionism

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 2700
• Professor: Stephanie Howells

Document Summary

Rather than looking at what causes the crime, they look to see how people respond to certain acts or what is said. The stimulus is the act or what is said. The reaction is how people react to what is done or said; for example if someone waves to you your reaction is to wave back. However, the interpretation is the most important because depending on how someone interprets your act this determines their reaction. For example, if for you and your friend the term bitch is a term of endearment but someone walks by they may interpret that word as being o ensive. How we interpret the stimulus matters as one can interpret the stimulus negatively or positively. Looking glass self= we start to see ourselves the way that others see us. Di erent people have a di erent a ect on us. Family and close friends opinions matter more than peers.