Discovering the Dirty TruthIn the 1960s, Howard Becker reintroduced Emile Durkheim's major labeling concepts when he created The Theory of Labeling. labeling. Becker's labeling theory derives from the theoretical perspective of symbolic interactionism and states that when one is labeled by a person of higher prestige or status, the labeled person is likely to accept the label and conform to it, due to the self-fulfilling prophecy. Tio 34). On the other hand, society is not the only factor that contributes to how one is labeled. In Cooley's “Mirror Self Theory,” Cooley states that one sees oneself as one perceives others to see them, resulting in individuals becoming more aware of how society sees them. Both of these theories created a foundation for my labeling experiment because each provides evidence of society's influence on an individual. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay While it may seem disgusting and unhygienic, in an effort to get people to believe my actions, I decided to break the norm of washing my hands in the communal bathroom in my hallway. What the "public" (those sharing the bathroom in my hallway) wasn't aware of was the fact that I went back to my dorm room and washed my hands in my personal sink. On the surface, if you asked why people wash their hands after using the bathroom, the normal answer would be because it's sanitary. Even if saying that it is hygienic is true, and consequently prevents the spread of disease and illness, it is questionable that people primarily wash their hands because people will see someone who does not wash their hands as dirty or disgusting, and therefore treat them otherwise. At the beginning of my experiment, I found it extremely unnerving to leave the bathroom with people who thought I hadn't washed my hands. It was normal for girls to watch me as I walked out, waiting to see whether or not I was actually going to wash my hands. The more people noticed that I didn't wash my hands in the bathroom, the easier it was for them to collectively label me as "the girl who doesn't wash her hands." People who had seen me violate the norm would now project their notion of what they had seen and apply it to the kind of person they saw me to be; an unsanitary, dirty person who was unable to do something as simple as maintain my hygiene. I decided to continue this experiment for more than one day in an attempt to get as many results as possible. The second day was quite similar to the first in that no one stopped to ask me if I was going to wash my hands or to comment on the general act of being unhygienic. Most of the people who saw me leave in disbelief were different from those of the previous day, but when one of the same girls from before saw me in the bathroom, she decided to see what I would do; analyzing whether or not I would get into the habit of not washing my hands. On the second day I met two girls who I had recognized from the first day of the experiment. To my surprise, the same two girls who had silently ridiculed me the day before actually performed the same actions they were judging me for. After just two days, I had managed to make it clear that it seemed socially acceptable, to some extent, to leave a public facility without washing your hands, regardless of whether sinks are available in every single room. : This is just an example. Get a personalized document from us now.