The Labeling Theory: The Role Of Deviance In Society

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Society is a group of people who make up guidelines that they feel fit to run efficiently as a group. Society makes these rules so that those within society have structure and a feeling of safety. Almost everyone follows these regulations put in place by society, but not everyone. There are many theories as to why individuals strike out against society’s expectations; these individuals are known as “deviants.” Theories such as The Labeling Theory, The Subcultural Theory, The Control Theory, and The Anomie Theory as well as Structural Functionalism all focus on why deviance exists and how individuals end up falling under such an incredulous category. The Labeling Theory is the concept of labeling individuals to a significant group. By being …show more content…
The “Control Theory” suggests that perhaps society as a whole is deviant. “Why do most of us not commit deviance?” (Sociological Theories To Explain Deviance). The Control Theory also refers to “social bonds” between individuals. These bonds include attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief. Attachment refers to the way one might behave upon the reaction that loved ones have on deviant behavior. Individuals do not want to do anything that would risk their relationship with a loved one, and so they will or will not act a certain way in order to keep their loved one’s approval. Commitment is when an individual sets a goal and works hard towards it. If an individual is committed to something, like attachment, they will not do anything that would put their goals at risk. Therefore, individuals will clear away from deviant behavior in order to succeed. Involvement is the bond that regards time commitment an individual partakes in activities that benefit their community. The last social bond is belief. Belief is the social bond that refers to the “ support” an individual has towards their community’s beliefs and morals. If an individual shares the same beliefs as their community, then they will not do anything to change the way their community runs. Whereas if an individual does not share the same beliefs, their support is typically not given to the community and will …show more content…
Although, each of the theories relate to one another. All of the theories are supported by the idea that deviance is sprung from the impact of those around the particular individual. While some theories revolve around society’s impact upon deviant behavior and others support the idea that deviance comes from subcultural groups or family members, all theories have people that contribute to the development of deviance. It is important to study deviance in sociology because deviance can help an individual understand other factors of social constructions. Deviance shows how human beings pick apart and invent standards that everyone is expected to live up to. Deviants are those who are labeled because they are “different” from the rest of society. Deviance is present in every human being. No two people think exactly alike, speak exactly alike, or look exactly alike. Perhaps those labeled as “deviants” are the individuals who see past the strive for all persons to live the same
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