Who attaches labels, according to labelling theory?

people with power, such as teachers and police. Power makes a label stick.

What is a self-fulfilling prophecy?

a prediction that comes true because it was made. The label changes how the person is treated and how they act.

Who are the bourgeoisie?

the class that owns businesses, land and factories. Marxists call them the ruling class.

What is exploitation, for Marxists?

workers being paid less than the value of what they produce. The difference is the owners' profit.

Which is a criticism of labelling theory?

it does not explain where the stereotypes behind the labels come from. It describes the process but not its origin.

Labelling theory and Marxism on inequality · Cambridge IGCSE Sociology

In plain words

Why does inequality last from one generation to the next? Two answers. One looks at small moments: a teacher's glance, a word on a file, a label that sticks. The other looks at the whole economy and asks who owns it.

10 things to know

Labelling theory says that people with power, such as teachers, police and employers, attach labels to others. A label is a definition of a person, and it is often based on a stereotype.
A label can become a master status: the one thing that everybody sees first about a person, which hides everything else about them.
A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that comes true because it was made. A person treated as a failure may come to believe it, stop trying, and fail.
So labelling creates inequality through everyday meetings between people. Labelled people are given fewer opportunities.
Marxism says that capitalist society has two classes. The bourgeoisie own the businesses, land and factories. The proletariat own only their ability to work.
Exploitation of the proletariat: workers are paid less than the value of what they produce, and the owners keep the difference as profit.
Ideological control: the ideas spread through schools, media and religion persuade workers that the system is fair, so they do not challenge it.
The poverty trap: the poor are kept poor, because the things that would help them escape cost money they do not have, or because earning more means losing benefits.
The reserve army of labour is a pool of unemployed people who can be hired when business needs them and dismissed when it does not. Their existence keeps wages low, because any worker can be replaced.
Evaluation. Labelling theory does not explain where the stereotypes come from, and people can reject a label. Marxism says little about gender and ethnicity, and living standards have risen for many workers.

Worked example

A teacher decides in the first week that a boy from a poor area is "trouble". Explain how this could affect his achievement.

The teacher has labelled him, on the basis of a stereotype about his background.
The teacher watches him more closely, punishes him sooner and expects less work from him.
He comes to see himself as the teacher does. "Troublemaker" becomes his master status.
He behaves badly and stops working. The label has come true: a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Tips and tricks

Three steps for a self-fulfilling prophecy: the label is given, the person is treated according to it, the person becomes what the label said.
Marxist terms come in pairs: bourgeoisie and proletariat, exploitation and profit. Use the exact words.

5 questions, about 2 minutes.

It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.

Labelling theory and Marxism on inequality: 5 questions and answers

These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.

Who attaches labels, according to labelling theory?
- only the person themselves
- people with power, such as teachers and police (the answer)
- nobody
- only family members
Power makes a label stick.
What is a self-fulfilling prophecy?
- a prediction that never comes true
- a religious belief
- a prediction that comes true because it was made (the answer)
- a prediction made by a government
The label changes how the person is treated and how they act.
Who are the bourgeoisie?
- the class that owns businesses, land and factories (the answer)
- the working class
- the unemployed
- government officials
Marxists call them the ruling class.
What is exploitation, for Marxists?
- workers being paid more than they produce
- workers owning the factories
- owners working harder than workers
- workers being paid less than the value of what they produce (the answer)
The difference is the owners' profit.
Which is a criticism of labelling theory?Stretch
- it pays too much attention to the economy
- it ignores teachers and police
- it does not explain where the stereotypes behind the labels come from (the answer)
- it says that labels never affect people
It describes the process but not its origin.

5 questions

Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.

Worksheet

3 questions, 10 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.

Labelling theory and Marxism on inequality

Cambridge IGCSE Sociology 0495 · 10 marks · papermunch.org

Name ______________________________ Date ______________

What is meant by the term "master status"?[2]
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A label that becomes the main way a person is seen by others, overriding all their other characteristics.
I got this one
Describe how a self-fulfilling prophecy can create inequality.[4]
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A person is given a label, such as "low ability". Others treat the person according to the label, for example by giving them easier work. The person comes to believe the label and acts in line with it, so they achieve less. The prediction has come true.
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Explain what Marxists mean by the "reserve army of labour".[4]
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It is a group of unemployed or underemployed people who can be brought into work when the economy needs them and laid off when it does not. Because employers can easily replace workers, those in work accept low wages, which benefits the owners.
I got this one

Answers: Labelling theory and Marxism on inequality

1. A label that becomes the main way a person is seen by others, overriding all their other characteristics.
2. A person is given a label, such as "low ability". Others treat the person according to the label, for example by giving them easier work. The person comes to believe the label and acts in line with it, so they achieve less. The prediction has come true.
3. It is a group of unemployed or underemployed people who can be brought into work when the economy needs them and laid off when it does not. Because employers can easily replace workers, those in work accept low wages, which benefits the owners.