Labeling Theory Readings and Reflection

2/26/2016

This week's readings were on labeling theory; the power that labels have to impact our behaviors and how we see ourselves. Labels can be both positive and negative but they are often associated with the notion of self-fulfilling prophecy. That as an individual internalizes a label given to them based on their actions within the cultural norms of a society, the individual will take on many traits that are associated with that label. To further interrogate the power of labels I would like you to reflect upon the following prompts:

Think back to when you were a student.

What labels were placed upon YOU in the classroom or outside of the classroom? Were these positive or negative labels? Did you internalize them? Were there emotions attached to these labels? Explain.
What kind of student were YOU? In your description of yourself do you tend to see any of those labels revealing themselves?

What are other labels do you remember hearing associated with young people when you were in school ?

Think more broadly now incorporating ideas from the class readings as well as your own experiences:

Do you think labels serve a purpose? In what ways? Give examples from your own life.
Do you think labeling is a positive or negative thing in schools? In what ways? Give examples from your own life.
Do you feel like labeling theory is still a relevant theory in education? Why or why not? Give examples from your own life.

Add any additional thoughts, questions, or comments you have from the readings.

19 Comments

Brandon Piccini

3/1/2016 09:48:48 am

As a student I was labeled often. Being the captain of the football team usually the label of "Jock" was put on me, therefore many people didn't believe I was intelligent or cared about my school work. When in reality being considered a jock was never the persona I went for, I stayed on top of my school work and was an above average student. Just because I played football I was labeled jock when really I was an intelligent football player not some dum dum who threw there body into another person. Many people called my peers in high school lazy or not motivated just because that is the overall assumption about my generation. I believe although I can be lazy sometimes or choose to not do something that doesn't define who I am as a student or a person sometimes you just need to stop for a minute or decide something isn't as important and relax and not worry for a few but just because I decide to do that doesn't mean I am a lazy guy or unmotivated it just means I'm getting things done and want to also take a break sometimes.

I believe labels serve a purpose because a lot of the time your experiences are defined by the label you are given. I know I made some if my closest friends through football and the label of jocks was our label because of our love for sports but although that label comes with many assumptions our group never followed through on them all. We became so close because of our sport and our role as "jocks". I believe labels in schools are a much needed thing. Whether you are okay with the label put on you or not you can always change that label with action and labels often bond a lot of people because they are considered the same.

Sahar

7/31/2021 07:09:53 pm

Can I interview you on other social media

Michelle

3/1/2016 09:49:12 am

Throughout my schooling I was known as a bright student, a good student, a smart student, a studious person overall. At home I was known as a good kid, a nice kid, an obedient child. With my friends I was known as the "mom" of the group, they thought me the most responsible, most sensible of their friends and looked to me for help with anything. While I do believe I was all of these things, once people started acknowledging these qualities of mine, I started to strive to have them and be them. I wanted to be a good kid and a good student to make my family and my teachers happy.
I believe I was a good student, I tried my hardest to do good work, I created relationships with my peers and my teachers, and I really tried to make my mark on the school by involving myself as much as possible. I feel that what I was labeled as a child stuck with me throughout high school and sort of shaped me into who I am, academically and personally.
Other labels I remember hearing associated with my peers aside from the ones also placed on me include "teacher's pet", "try hard", "delinquent", "so much potential", "quitter", etc.

I believe that labels can have a positive affect on students but they can also have negative affects. Negative labels placed on children can stay with them and affect them for the rest of their lives.

3/1/2016 09:49:35 am

Labels are used constantly inside a school setting. Good student, bad student, honor role, concepts classes. Peers labeled each other as a jock, academic, slacker, or over achiever.
I think I’d categorize myself as a good student when I was in high school. I was organized and timely with my assignments. I never liked the feeling of procrastination or the anxiety that came with it, so I always had assignments done at least two days before they were due. The labels that were thrown at me by my friends and peers revolved around my organized nature.

3/1/2016 09:49:38 am

People use labels as a way to categorize people into groups, which allow people to make collective generalizations about individual people in those groups. Regardless of the positive or negative stigma associated with a label, labels put expectations on people that change their behavior. Personally, I have been labeled a good student in high school. This label forced me into a group of students that were expected to follow rules and deadlines, and to do exceptionally well on assignments. Being a good student is a positive label, but having this label put pressure on me to always achieve in comparison to my peers. It also caused certain students to expect help from me, and teachers to give me the role of helping others. Negative labels, which I have not been associated with, also put expectations on people, although people that have these labels do not necessarily want to live up to these expectations. Negative labels can cause people to lower expectations of themselves, or can isolate people of that label from those with more positive labels. Labels allow people to categorize others which can, in a sense, allow schools to meet everyone's individual needs. The issue with this theory is that some labels have negative or positive stigmas associated with them, which creates a hierarchy of students in schools.

Claire

3/1/2016 09:49:39 am

Inside the classroom I was always labeled as a "good student" I took AP and honors classes all throughout middle and high school. this label along with my family's ideals of how one should preform in school along with the labels my teachers and peers saw me as, solidified my actions. I would always do my homework, come to class on time, pay attention, and get mostly A's. And much like the saints, since i was viewed as a 'good student' if i did ever do something that didn't coincide with the definition of a good student teachers often wouldn't notice or care since i was doing well in school.
with other kids in school who were in remedial classes, skipped class, didn't pay attention, weren't respectful, etc... they would be labeled as bad students or ones that didn't care. However, even though they were labeled as such, almost everyone (probably about 95% of my grade graduated from high school). So even though they were the 'bad' students in my town it was almost assumed that you would graduate from high school...so they couldn't have been THAT bad of a student after all...

Certain labels do serve a purpose. A label that can provide certain students with the educational support they need are essential. However, other labels that are given to students can be harmful to their self esteem or to their academic future. Identifying someone as a good or bad student has its pros and cons. The pros are that if you categorize a student you can find the best ways to supplement their education...but the downside to that is negative labels can be easily internalized and can make students believe that all they are is that label that someone else has given them. A label should not define a student, it should be used to help them become a better version of themselves and to grow.

3/1/2016 09:49:56 am

I guess I was always labelled as the good student in school, I was always called a nerd, and a try hard because I actually did all of my work. The labels never really bothered me that much if anything they were always positive despite some of my classmates viewing them as a negative. I always saw school as a matter of getting tasks done, I didn't focus on what others thought of me I just wanted to graduate and move on with my life post high school. I understood why these labels were presented on me, a number of my friends just got by in high school, and I wanted to be successful and get honor roll, so being that out liar in a group I was always subject to teasing and getting left out because "I'd rather sit at home and study". In my high school aside from the try hard population and what we called "screw ups" we also labelled many students bilingual and they were often the subject of teasing and bad labeling. These students were ESL students who came from foreign countries that didn't bother to participate in school and who just goofed off most of the time. Labeling in my opinion is a bad practice because often times it sets up these negative preconceived notions that some students in a sense feel obligated to fit in.

:^)

3/1/2016 09:49:58 am

I was known as a "good student" ever since first grade. The teachers would always give me special praise. This trend has pretty much continued up until this point. This mostly made me feel pretty good, like I had the ability to make my parents and teachers proud. However, especially in high school, being a "good student" began to take its toll on my mental health. As the material started getting harder and harder, the pressure to live up to these high expectations became more difficult to manage. I would often break down crying on the weekends, overwhelmed as I tried to crank out A+ work in all seven of my classes. My mom told me that it was okay if I wasn't perfect, but I still felt compelled to be that "good student" that all my teachers believed me to be. I also didn't want to embarrass myself in front of my friends, as they were also "good students" and seemed to be managing the workload just fine. I didn’t want to be the odd one out. Being a “good student” made me feel proud and stressed all at once and at different times. It helped me maintain a good GPA and has made me anxious. I still feel the pressure of the label today.
I think labeling has positive and negative consequences. On one hand, it allows people to clearly specify their experiences and goals, and more easily convey them to the rest of the world. However, at the same time, they can be limiting. Pressure to conform to this label, even if it’s self-imposed, creates great discomfort. In my own experiences, my labels have been both helpful and hurtful.

Hello

3/1/2016 09:50:01 am

The concept of labeling was very relevant to my daily life experience in high school. I was labeled as a Goody-two shoes in high school. I was polite to all my teachers and because of this I believe I may have received more second chances than other students had. If I forgot homework or did not do well on an assignment some teachers would allow me to make up the missing points or give me more time to work on the assignment. In some situations I did not even have to ask for more time. While I was being given countless opportunities to prove my academic ability I watched as the more outspoken and disruptive students were denied the same opportunities. Teachers allowed pushed me to continue working at my maximal potential by automatically expecting this of me. Thus in school this was a positive label. However outside of school my friends would use the goody-two-shoes label in a negative way. I was told I wouldn't hang out with them or do many things because of my label. This was in its own way a form of peer pressure because telling me I would not engage in some of this risk behaviors, such as drinking, only pushed me to want to do them more and break from this label outside of school. Some other labels I heard throughout school were: troublemaker, know-it-all, dumb blonde, geek, nerd, and problem child. I truly do not see the benefit in labels. In most cases labels are used to separate students within the school. Labels cause another border from student to student or between a student and their own learning.

Casey

3/1/2016 09:50:09 am

Personally I was seen as an above average/average student (dependent on the topic). I was great in English and history however math and science tended to trip me up a little bit. My parents always had high expectations for my academic performance as well as my overall behavior no matter what social setting I was in. I was labeled as somewhat of a "perfect kid" who never did anything wrong (unless it was by complete and honest mistake), never disrespected authority, and never gave less than my best. Having these positive labels attached to me put pressure on me to always be a high achiever, however I feel that they honestly helped to keep me on track and pushed me in the right direction throughout my youth and schooling. On the other hand, I can easily see how negative labels would have a very poor effect on a student, causing them to feel bad about themselves and essentially discourage them, as opposed to my labels encouraging me. I witnessed people in my high school who had consistent negative labels placed on them feeling discouraged and lessened in their worth as a student.

3/1/2016 09:50:14 am

In high school, I was considered a good student who always completed work on time. I took this as a positive label, since I was getting good grades and was proud that people were noticing my hard work and dedication to school. I was in all advanced or honors level courses and took school seriously. The course levels offered in school often labeled other students based on their difficulty and the student's ability to get work done, and students took note of this. Sports teams were also important labels in my high school, but this did not apply to me since I quit sports in order to work part-time.
Labels often are used with first impressions to get a general sense of who a student is, and possibly their work ethics. This can be both good and bad since it may lead teachers or students to misjudge each other and will impact their expectations of one another. Teachers may expect more work out of students in higher level courses, while lower-level courses might not be taken as seriously and be considered "a joke" or a waste of time.

Brendan

3/1/2016 09:50:18 am

During my pre college school days, I was given the label of a skater due to my tendency to hang around my close group of friends that were skateboarders. This label brought on the stigma that I was a rebellious kid that would act out in class and not do my work. While I would agree that I did often act out in class, I would always do my work. Although kids in my friend group were not the best students, I differed from them by placing a heavy importance on my schoolwork. Through middle school and high school I obtained good grades and even took honors and advanced classes, defying the label placed upon me. While I did embody the label placed upon me that I would act out in class, I also did not embody the label that I would slack off on school work. I encountered teachers that judged me by my appearance and reputation, not my work. Because of this, I feel labels can bring more bad than good in a teaching and learning environment.

Jesse T

3/1/2016 09:50:26 am

Throughout my education, i feel like i have been subject to a range of labels. Inside the classroom, i believe i was perceived as a good student, being that i consistently earned good grades and maintained a respectful manner and attitude. Outside the classroom, many may have labeled me as a delinquent, or a trouble maker. This was because i tended to break rules and misbehave, however i only received this label from those who witness this behavior only. Teachers, on the other hand, seemed to brush off my occasional misbehavior due to my consistent good efforts in the classroom. Being labeled as a good student, in that context, was a positive thing, something that made me feel good. When i was labeled as a trouble maker by those who only would witness my misbehavior, it seemed like a negative emotion. I did not like the way i would be perceived as a bad person for my behavior, since beyond these instances i knew myself as a respectful kid with good intentions. I remember the labels that would be given to other kids, negative ones that identify kids who would steal, skip school and neglect schoolwork. I also remember positive labels given to students who would get straight As with perfect attendance and behavior. My ability to relate to both sides of labeling allows me to understand the different effects that labeling can have on students.

Michael T.

3/1/2016 09:50:33 am

Labels have been around for years and I have been labeled my entire life. Most of the time it was never negative but sometimes there were negative labels, in my eyes, placed on me. In the classroom I was always labeled as the quiet kid that always did his work. I was not a troublemaker and prided myself on that. Outside the classroom I was a different person. I was always talking with my friends doing other activities not pertaining to school. I was a three sport athlete and was labeled as such. I was never called a jock but was always referred to as a student-athlete. The negative labels I can remember were: nerdy and loner. While they may not sound to bad I did not like those labels because they were not true. Whenever these labels were brought up in conversation I would become angry and feel like I had to convince them that those labels were not true.
As a student I always considered myself a "good student" even though sometimes I only felt average. That was mostly to do with the fact I hung out with the honors and AP students that did better than me with grades. Compared to others though I was a good student.
Labels have been following me for years some were true and some not so much, I have learned from having these labels and they have helped shape me to the person I am today.

Not Nelson

3/1/2016 09:50:37 am

I think that labeling is prevalent in schools today. This week's reading was interesting because I had learned about labeling and its detrimental effects in a sociology class, but I never thought about the effects of labeling on education. Labeling students has a profound impact on them. Often times they adopt the label given to them, which can be both positive and negative. Students labeled "good" (as I was in high school) are usually motivated to live up to their label, and work hard in order to achieve. "Bad" students, however, also adopt their label, and rather than being motivated to work hard, they often give up because they see little functional purpose in trying to succeed when teachers have predetermined that they will not.

3/1/2016 09:50:57 am

I believe labels, if used properly, can have a positive impact on the education system. Throughout my education, I was labeled as an "Honors student". This label assisted me in finding courses suited to my academic abilities and placed me in classrooms surrounded by peers who consistently pushed me to meet my fullest potential. Similarly, in the Harry and and Klinger article, labels such as "Learning Disabled" and "Educable Mental Retardation" helped students acquire the resources necessary to find academic success.
Other labels applied to me included "soccer team captain" and "older sister". I'm sure there were negative labels applied to me, but I brushed those off and didn't internalize them. No matter what you do, people will label you negatively. It's how you use these labels that make them productive.

Jackson!

Throughout both Middle and High School, I was given many a label, some of which were positive to my experience while others were negative In the classroom, I was given the label of a smart kid, so even when I didn’t know the answer, or didn’t have that good of a grade in the class, my classmates would still be asking me for the answers to the test were, or what I put on the homework problems. I think that this label actually benefitted me, because when everyone expects me to know an answer, it’s probably in my best interest to know that. Slowly, I began to stop slacking and I progressively became more like the student everyone expected me to be in. As I started trying more, I entered more and more honors and AP classes and I slowly became more like a good student, just as everyone had assumed that I was in the first place. I guess that I internalized these labels, though in this instance it seems that that label was beneficial to my overall personal growth. I do think that these labels are a double-edged sword though, I was fortunate enough to have a positive label, but I can understand underperforming when everyone assumes that you’re bad or ineffective at a certain thing. For example, I knew that I was bad at math, but I think a lot of that had to do with many of my friends labelling me as bad in math, and then I began to try less. Many of my friends had other labels, and throughout middle and high school, these labels became their personality and their character. These labels fundamentally created many of the personalities of the people that I knew, and that really says a lot about the strength of labeling theory as a whole, and the toll on the psyche of an individual.

Melissa

3/1/2016 09:50:59 am

The cultural norms of a society is set by the dominant group. Experiences are imposed upon us by the dominant group and thus, this influences the way students who belong to minoritized groups perceive themselves. Internalized oppression and internalized superiority occurs from the labels that teachers and other instructors place on the students. Whether the student is female, gay, hispanic, black, male, or a part of any other social group, there is systemic teachings on the norms in which each student belongs. Labeling is a negative things. Everyone in society is exposed the predetermined way that each gender, race, etc is perceived to be behave and thus, the expectations of these previous subconscious teachings influence the way a teacher will talk about a certain group of people or talk to a student who belongs to a specific group. A female asian student might be considered smart and the teacher will use language to create more situations so that they are likely to have more POSITIVE interactions but what happens to the hispanic, black, or indigenous peoples? This puts them at a disadvantage, an unearned disadvantage due to prejudices and stereotypes that teachers and anyone in society can have. The cost of acting positively towards someone simply due to a prejudice gives an unfair advantage to the perceived superior groups.

Ally

3/1/2016 09:51:10 am

I was considered a very good student in elementary school. I would always make up homework after I finished my real homework to challenge myself. In middle school, teachers would often pair me in groups with other students that had learning needs or challenges. They would often give me jobs if I finished my work early. However, if I did make a mistake or forget to do an assignment, I felt that teachers were more disappointed in me and it was a lot of pressure. That is why when high school came around, I tried to be more well balanced in terms of social and academic life. I found myself not being the teacher’s pet that my middle school teachers had known me as. I never really found that people were given concrete labels. I knew who the good students were and who the bad students were and who had learning challenges since they often met with different teachers.
I think labels separate students within schools more than they already are. We are already separated by cultural differences, social class, and grade, labeling just created more of an academic gap. I do think that some people have learning challenges, just as some people have blue eyes. I do not think they have to be labeled because I think it undermines these students confidence.

Labeling Theory Readings and Reflection

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