Final answer:
Poor people are more likely to be socially defined as deviant according to labeling theory, largely due to the association of poverty with criminal behavior and social biases.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to labeling theory, individuals who are socially defined as deviant are not just those who engage in deviant acts, but those who are labeled as such by society's reactions. Essentially, deviance is the violation of social norms and is highly dependent on cultural and social context. In many societies, poor people are more likely to be labeled as deviant due to stereotypes and social biases that associate poverty or lower socioeconomic status with criminal or non-normative behavior. This is often reinforced by social disorganization theory, which posits that those growing up in impoverished areas are more prone to deviant behavior.
Conversely, individuals with white collar jobs, the middle-class, and rich people may be less likely to be labeled as deviant due to their social standing and the perception that they conform to social expectations and norms. However, deviance and the application of labels are not solely based on economic status but are also influenced by the differential enforcement of norms, the context of the behavior, and societal reactions. Therefore, it's important to consider that anyone can be labeled as deviant regardless of their economic position if their behavior significantly deviates from the expected norms.