We have looked at the definition of deviance and the different examples of deviant behavior. Theories have also been discussed in detail and with relevant examples. Now let’s discuss deviant identity. Deviant identity can be seen as part of labeling theory because it is the aspect of deviance that “requires that people accept the identity and make it their own. Identities refer to the way people think of themselves. “(Adler and Adler page 241). This is part of labeling theory because it creates a situation where people can be stigmatized and thus a label is created such as: “nerd, slut, fatty, loser, jock, smarty pants etc.” those are just a few, there are many more in society today.
There are seven stages to the development of identity, which, is also known as the “deviant identity career”. (To make a side note…not every person that is deemed deviant will go through all stages)
The first stage is called: “caught and publicly identified as deviant” (page 242). People may start to think of this person in an altered way. For example a person that a sorority girl (we will just call her Betty) is rumored to have slept around with an entire fraternity house. Then the gossip starts between her sorority sisters. The continuation of the banter will lead into stage two which is the “retrospective interpretation”. This suggests that more people besides Betty’s sisters have begun to change their attitudes towards her. So let’s make sure we get this straight. First the people have changed their thoughts about the person that is deviant. Then the people changed their attitudes towards the person that is deviant. Stage three: “Spoiled Identity”. In simple terms the person’s reputation has been ruined. At this point of the story of Betty’s situation is hard to reverse the thoughts and attitudes of the people around her and possibly people she doesn’t even know. Since she has been labeled now as a “slut or skank” take your pick of labels for her or don’t. It’s up to you…but society is going to expect her to make the rumor real and start to sleep around a lot. “The dynamics of exclusion” is what Betty’s former sorority sisters and friends are beginning to do to her. When she is walking into a party her sisters may not acknowledge her, pretend she isn’t there and they may feel uncomfortable
when she is talking to their boyfriends or potential boyfriends. Some people are repulsed by her actions and some may take her under their wing. She may then shift into a different circle of friends and she might even deactivate from the sorority. The example of her joining a new crowd is stage 5. “Treat differently” is stage 6 and this is the fact that they may even stop inviting Betty to social events and if her sisters are really that upset they could send her standards and then consequences or penalized for her actions as not representing the sorority in an appropriate way. “Internalize the deviant label and come to think of themselves differently… is likely to affect their future behavior” (243). In Betty’s case she may drop out of school because she cannot handle the label, transfer to a different school, or just continue with her behavior and still be seen as a slut and the labels could get worse. In the way that her label could get worse is that people may start saying that she has a sexual transmitted disease/ sexual transmitted infection. Betty’s future love interest may hear these stories and decide that he is not interested solely based in people’s thoughts and attitudes about Betty. Keep in mind they only have a class together and he asked her on a date to get to know her better. When he heard the information he stood her up. The next day in class he shrugged it off as “I just forgot…sorry.”
when she is talking to their boyfriends or potential boyfriends. Some people are repulsed by her actions and some may take her under their wing. She may then shift into a different circle of friends and she might even deactivate from the sorority. The example of her joining a new crowd is stage 5. “Treat differently” is stage 6 and this is the fact that they may even stop inviting Betty to social events and if her sisters are really that upset they could send her standards and then consequences or penalized for her actions as not representing the sorority in an appropriate way. “Internalize the deviant label and come to think of themselves differently… is likely to affect their future behavior” (243). In Betty’s case she may drop out of school because she cannot handle the label, transfer to a different school, or just continue with her behavior and still be seen as a slut and the labels could get worse. In the way that her label could get worse is that people may start saying that she has a sexual transmitted disease/ sexual transmitted infection. Betty’s future love interest may hear these stories and decide that he is not interested solely based in people’s thoughts and attitudes about Betty. Keep in mind they only have a class together and he asked her on a date to get to know her better. When he heard the information he stood her up. The next day in class he shrugged it off as “I just forgot…sorry.” Not everyone goes through all seven stages and some are skipped over, but the person is still labeled and then internalized eventually. It can be a fast or slow process it all depends on the situation.
I know that I have been labeled in my lifetime and at one point I did accept it but then I left and changed the way I thought about myself. Think of ways in your life that you may have been labeled deviant…how did you deal or cope with the label; did you accept or deny the label?
