LABELLING THEORY

Labelling means attaching a definition, description or category to someone which results in them changing their behaviour. 

Sociologist are interested in how institutions such as the police, education or the media control ordinary people. These different groups are powerful enough, that when labeling someone it can cause the candidate to reflect and reshape their behaviour. Sociologist Becker considers this a Self-fulfilling prophecy.

Interactionist disagree with theories such as marxism and feminism which asumes that people are quite passive and strongly shaped by capitalism or patriachy. Interactionists believe people actively construct their identities and experiences. Furthermore they believe focusing on peoples day-to-day micro interactions and the meaning behind the interactions shape peoples behaviour. Interactionist argue the reason working class children have lower educational achivement than middle class children is because of in-school factors, like interactions between pupils and teachers.

Becker's 1971 case study, where he interviewed 60 school teachers found out that the teachers, in their mind, created the ideal pupil. Teachers offered more support to students nearest to this ideology, these student were often middle class or had middle class traits. The study also revealed working class students were placed in lower sets, labeling them further, and why? Because they were the furthest from the ideal pupil.

Jorgenses 2009 study discovered in middle class only schools, the ideal pupil was determined by ability and personality (not behaviour).

Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968) went a step further and conducted a field study. They gave false information to teachers that some of their students were 'late blumers'. And what happened was the teachers changed their expectations leading to the students achieving higher outcomes. 

Stephen Ball (1981) found even in the absence of sets, labelling still occurs.

What all these studies show is even if these labels are false, and are only based on ideologies, the teachers expectations of a pupil strongly shapes their educational achievement.

1. it's deterministic; it assumes pupils will internalise the label - some student will reject labels

2. It does not explain where the stereotyped labels come from. Structural theories such as marxism argues labelling is the result of social class conflict.

3. Labelling doesn't explain why some pupils will be disruptive/lazy before they are labelled.