Basic Tenets Of Howard Becker's Labeling Theory

The differential association is a theory that explains why criminals commit crimes based upon their relationship with other people. For example, when they have contact with other people who are criminals they learn the values, attitudes, techniques, and motives for criminal behavior.

Edwin Sutherland has this 9 basic tenets of this differential association theory. Sutherland point of view is that (1) criminal behavior are behavior we learned over the time (2) We learned criminal behavior by having relationships with other people who are already criminals and the way they communicate is by words and signs. (3) Learning about criminal actions happens within small groups of individuals. (4) To learn about crime people most learned the techniques

Labeling theory takes the view that individuals become criminals when labeled become part of their personal identity. Labeling theory has a primary and secondary deviance, retroactive and prospective labeling and finally being stigmatized. Primary deviance refers to a minor deviant act which everyone does once or twice, like taking a candy from a store without paying for it. Secondary deviance is when an individual keep breaking norms and starts to take on a deviant identity. A stigma is a negative social label that can dramatically change a person's self-concept and social identity. Stigmas are extended by retrospective labeling, which is someone's past consistent with present deviance. Projective labeling is when people use a person's present deviant identity to guess future

(1) Conformity: following cultural goals through approved means. (2) Innovation: The lack of opportunities for success may encourage low-income people to engage in stealing, selling drugs, and other methods of street crime. Therefore, they will use unconventional means (dealing drugs) to achieve what society approved goal are. For example, buy a new house, have nice cars and provide for the family. (3) Ritualism: is also encouraged by an inability to reach cultural goals. In this mode, individuals work for security instead of using his job as a means to achieve success. (4) Retreatism: occurs when people don’t follow society's goals or the means to achieve those goals. These individuals tend to separate themselves from the world, such as drug addicts and homeless 'street people.' Finally, the last one number 5 are the rebels are the persons who feel so strained by the society that they want to replace both the goals and the means of achieving those goals. the persons who feel so strained by the society that they want to replace both the goals and the means of achieving those