Question

According to labeling theorists, which of the following statements is true?

a. acts tend to be inherently deviant and are furthered by context and response.
b. acts are not inherently deviant an dpay little regard to context and response.
c. acts are not inherently deviant and depend upon context and response.
d. acts tend to be inherently deviant and pay little regard to context and response.

Answer 1

The correct answer according to labeling theory is that acts are not inherently deviant and depend upon the context and response of society. Labeling theory underscores that deviance is determined by societal reactions, making deviance a relative concept.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to labeling theorists, the correct statement is: c. acts are not inherently deviant and depend upon context and response. This perspective highlights that deviance is not a quality of the act a person commits but rather a consequence of the application by others of rules and sanctions to an 'offender'. The deviant is one to whom the label has successfully been applied; deviant behavior is behavior that people so label.

Deviance is considered a violation of norms and whether or not something is deviant is often determined by societal reactions, making it a relative concept. Therefore, from the standpoint of labeling theory, it is the response of society that constructs deviance by assigning labels to individuals and their actions. This theory is in contrast to the idea that some acts are inherently deviant, irrespective of context and societal reaction.