Labeling theory

Labeling Theory
Student’s Name
Institution

Labeling Theory
According to Clark (2007), labeling theory focuses on the individuals, groups or both who are labelled as criminal with the society because they have been branded as such. Majority of the labeling theorists explored the various interactions between conformist society and the individual and criminal groups. The first labeling theorist major concept was on evil dramatization where an individual is regarded as being unlawful and automatically becomes one. A person is deemed criminal although he is yet to admit the label. Therefore, the major point of perspective is whether or not an individual has accepted the criminal tag.
I do not agree with the statement for several reasons. For instance, the theory reveals that a person is subjected to the social deviance in the first and second phases where the initial level is termed the primary deviance while the second is called secondary deviance. As a result, whenever an individual perceives themselves as criminal automatically, the second deviance starts. I do not agree with the labeling theory because the only difference between secondary and primary deviance stages is based on whether or not an individual perceives themselves as a criminal (Shepard, 2009). The basis that labeling theory claims that no act is criminal on it and becomes criminal act since there is a law that backs it.
I feel it is wrong for staff to use to the telephone that belongs to a company for personal calls.

The act should be deemed a crime because a company phone needs to serve the interest of the clients and not to serve individual clients. Most people perform the act without necessarily knowing it is wrong. In essence, the action involves misuse of company resources for personal gains. Such a person should be held liable and charged for dishonestly misusing firm resources and should be penalized on criminal grounds.
References
Clark, D. (2007). Encyclopedia of Law and Society: American and Global Perspectives. London: Sage.
Shepard, J. (2009). Cengage Advantage Books: Sociology (10th ed.). Belmont, Calif: Cengage Learning.