Country Boy Labeling Analysis

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Description: Being brought up on a farm with cattle and crops, I was always considered a country boy. I am very proud of my family’s farm and the things that are done on our farm. For years I tried to live up to that country boy stereotype of loving to hunt and roam the land for nature experiences, that’s what was expected of me in rural Stanly County. I thought I was supposed to fit that label, but soon found out it was not what I was interested in nor what I wanted to spend my life doing. Fortunately, my family supports me no matter what choices I make so left that self-concept behind by the age of 10. I spent the next 8 years of my life trying to change the way other people perceived me based on my label of “country boy”. Constantly being …show more content…
To approach cautiously is good till we dig deeper and find out that the label is not correct for that person. The labeling theory was Howard Becker’s idea “that deviance is a consequence of external judgements or labels that modify the individual’s self-concept and change the way others respond to the labeled person” (Ferris and Stein, pp.159). Labeling can hurt people and destroy their self-confidence as well as their reputation and should be used very cautiously. My example above would never lead to me or anyone else being harmed physically consequently there is labeling that occurs that can lead to this. Look at the racial and ethnic labeling going on right now in our world. Some people are scared to leave their homes and families. Hitler also used this approach and we know how many people were hurt in that concept and how it turned out. Not just scared because of the way they could be treated but also of physical harm that could happen. A citizen killed a person because he was wearing a hoodie assumed him to be up to no good. I cannot tell you how many times after a winter workout and sweating, I have pulled my hoodie up to keep from getting sick when going outside. The labeling theory is real and dangerous the sooner as a society we cease to use this approach or use it with caution the safer and happier our society will