In sociology, defining or describing a person in terms of his or her behaviour; for example, describing someone who has broken a law as a criminal. Labelling theory deals with human interaction, behaviour, and control, particularly in the field of deviance.
Labelling has been seen as a form of social control in that labels affect both a person's self-image and other people's expectations and reactions. Crucial factors include who labels a person (for example, only a court can convict a criminal) and whether the label persists.
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