Labelling Theory Coursework Example

Name Tutor Course Date Labelling Theory Leon-Guerrero came up with an estimation which suggested that 28% of Black males will be incarcerated in their lifetime as compared to 16% of Hispanic and 4.4% whites. It is not clear what procedures were used to get to these figures, and their accuracy is questionable. This is because the black people are not the more violent people compared to other races. However, American law enforcement has developed a biased perception of the black population. The sociological labeling theory attempts to explain this phenomenon as it explores the issue of ‘labelling’ which is believed to be a factor leading black people to crimes (Restivo 119). The behaviors exhibited by people in the society tend to be similar to how society labels them. The black population in America has for a long time been viewed from a stereotyped perspective linking them to crimes such as robbery, drug abuse and peddling as well as illegal possession of arms. The black people are believed to be more likely than other races to engage in any of these crimes (Restivo 127). The trend has been evidenced by the cases of police harassing, arresting and even shooting innocent black people due to suspicion and wrong judgment. That makes it apparent that the law enforcement holds biased opinions about the black population. Suspicion, stereotyping, and the biased judgment that the society holds against the black people leads them to indulge in crimes. That emerges from the fact that they assume that whether they commit the crimes or not, they will still be suspected labeled as criminals. Despite the fact that black people are not likely to be violent, labeling pushes them to become criminals and thus the high percentage of incarceration than other races. Works Cited Restivo, Emily, and Mark M. Lanier. "Measuring the contextual effects and mitigating factors of labeling theory." Justice Quarterly, vol. 32, no. 1, 2015, pp. 116-141. ...