Key Study: Becker Flashcards

1️⃣ Familiarise yourself with the flashcards:

  • Look through all the flashcards to see what's on both sides.
  • Make sure you understand the information on each card. If something's unclear, click the link to the revision notes at the bottom of the page for more details.

2️⃣ Test yourself:

  • Look at the question or prompt on each card and try to remember the answer before flipping it over.
  • Check the answer and make a note of any cards you find challenging and need to go over more.

3️⃣ Consistently Review and Practice:

  • Use spaced repetition: spend more time on the cards you struggle with and go over them more often.
  • Regularly review all the flashcards to help you better understand and retain the information over time.

Note: We may include questions that have multiple correct answers. It's useful to remember specific examples to understand these concepts better.

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Who wrote Outsiders, the key study on labelling and deviance?

Howard Becker, in 1963.

What is Becker’s main idea about deviance?

Society creates deviance by labelling people, not just by the act itself.

Who applies labels in Becker’s view?

Agencies of social control and moral entrepreneurs, like the police and courts.

What does Becker mean by “moral entrepreneurs”?

People who campaign for rules and help to label others as deviant.

What is a “master status”?

A label, such as “criminal”, that becomes the main way others see a person.

How can a label lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy?

The person accepts the label and acts more like it, which can lead to more rule-breaking.

What is a “deviant career”?

When a label blocks normal chances, so the person joins deviant groups and keeps breaking rules.

What did Becker find in his study of marijuana users?

People learn how to use it from others, and society may then label them as deviant.

What does Becker mean by “deviance is a social construction”?

Rules and reactions decide what is deviant, so the same act can be OK in one place but deviant in another.

Do all rule-breakers get labelled?

No. Labelling is selective and depends on power, the setting, and who is doing the labelling.

How can a deviant label affect someone’s life chances?

It can cause stigma, close off jobs and education, and push people towards deviant groups.

What is one criticism of Becker’s labelling theory?

It does not explain the first act of rule-breaking.