Deviant behavior is behavior that people so label. From a symbolic interaction perspective, justify this statement.

What will be an ideal response?


Answers will vary. From a symbolic interactionist perspective, Howard Becker observed that "The deviant is one to whom that label has successfully been applied; deviant behavior is behavior that people so label." That is, it is not an act that determines deviance, but whether and how others react.Some people are never caught or prosecuted for crimes they commit, and thus are not labeled deviant. In other cases, people may be falsely accused (as cheating on taxes) and stigmatized. In effect, then, deviance is in the eye of the beholder because societal reaction, rather than an act, labels people as law-abiding or deviant. Moreover, labeling can lead to secondary deviance.

Sociology

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Most Blacks were kept from assimilating into the White's world

Indicate whether this statement is true or false.

Sociology

Which of the following make up the largest minority group in the United States?

A) African Americans B) Asian Americans C) Latinos D) Native Americans

Sociology

Studies have shown that African Americans rely on ________ to help cope with problems such as poverty, racism, and discrimination

a. kinship b. welfare c. institutions d. education

Sociology

The bubonic plague in Europe from 1334 to 1354, the small pox epidemic in 1707 that devastated the populations of Mexico and the West Indies, and today's worldwide AIDS epidemic are alike to the extent that all are .

a. sexually transmitted diseases b. forms of "positive checks" on population growth c. types of "preventative checks" of population growth d. diseases associated primarily with sexual and/or racial minorities

Sociology