Labeling Theory Research Articles

Youth perspectives as a driving force in social work innovation – trying to counteract deviance and structural vulnerability of youth at risk

ABSTRACT This article focuses on young people outside education and the labour market in a Danish context emphasising their narratives about social exclusion mechanisms throughout their schooling and up to their current situation today. Furthermore, the article entails the young peoples’ perspectives on social support, and their suggestions to improve the welfare practices to include them better in society. Through participatory research the article builds on 15 biographical interviews and two future workshops with 20 young people to provide insights into young, marginalised people’s experiences of social inclusion and exclusion. The young participants point out that their social exclusion started early in primary school, where they were labelled as outsiders. Howard Becker’s labelling theory is used as an analytical framework to understand the empirical findings and the youth perspectives of their deviance. The article aims to give these young people a voice. The perspectives of marginalised young people contribute to an understanding of their life situations and gives insights to meaningful interventions seen from a user perspective; what helps and support them to social inclusion, and what does not – as a starting point for social innovation and co-production in social work.

A qualitative analysis of derogatory labels used against persons with disabilities in Kashmir

ABSTRACT Approximately 15 per cent of the global population has disabilities, including 26 million people in India and 367,000 in Jammu and Kashmir. Persons with disabilities (PWD) face stigma worldwide, and derogatory labels in the Kashmiri language compound this problem. We applied stigma and labelling theories to analyse the effects of societal labels on PWD in Kashmir. Focusing on women participants, we explored the unique, gender-specific experiences of stigma they faced. We uncovered PWD’s experiences in the region through qualitative research and narrative analysis. We highlighted culturally specific labels deeply embedded in Kashmiri society, illustrating how these labels contribute to marginalisation. This approach offers a nuanced understanding of the social and emotional impacts of labelling on both men and women.

‘Sympathy for the devil’: The strategic use of the populist repertoire in Viktor Orbán’s politics

Populist politicians such as Viktor Orbán are masters at harnessing intense and polarizing moral emotions: they stigmatize the enemies of the people, offer their community protection as self-proclaimed heroes, and at the same time, othering and moral transgressing trigger emotional overreactions from opponents. This article draws on a new analytical framework that incorporates theories of social labeling (moral panic and euphoria, moral entrepreneurship) and heroic/charismatic leadership to explore this multifaceted and antagonistic emotional relationship associated with populists. The theoretical reasoning suggests that these emotional dynamics define the moral cornerstones and boundaries of populist identity politics. Based on an analysis of four illustrative Hungarian cases – the migration crisis, anti-gender politics, the Authorisation Act during the coronavirus pandemic, and Fidesz’s expulsion from the European People’s Party – the article shows that populists can follow different paths to become charismatic heroes in the eyes of his supporters, while others still see them as folk devils due to their controversial moral entrepreneurship.

Labeling by type

Abstract The primary goal of this article is to take advantage of some recent theoretical innovations in syntactic theorizing to propose a novel characterization of some of the basic word-order types isolated by typological research. In the minimalist framework, a necessary condition for a derivation to converge is that the structure it generates should be appropriately labeled. This requirement in particular holds for the major syntactic structures displayed by the various linguistic types. It will be argued that labeling theory, combined with phase theory and the variable syntax of inflectional and discourse features, offers contrasting characterizations of these structures and, as such, provides a window on how exactly SVO, V1 and V2 grammatical systems differ: they differ precisely in the strategy that each type selects in order for neutral declarative root clauses to satisfy the labeling requirement. It will also be shown that the topic and focus structures involving phrasal movement to the periphery, although different parametric choices are made by the various grammatical systems considered here, basically conform to the same requirement.

Visible-Light-Mediated Activation of Remote C(sp3)-H Bonds by Carbon-Centered Biradical via Intramolecular 1,5- or 1,6-Hydrogen Atom Transfer.

In this study, we introduce a novel intramolecular hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) reaction that efficiently yields azetidine, oxetane, and indoline derivatives through a mechanism resembling the carbon analogue of the Norrish-Yang reaction. This process is facilitated by excited triplet-state carbon-centered biradicals, enabling the 1,5-HAT reaction by suppressing the critical 1,4-biradical intermediates from undergoing the Norrish Type II cleavage reaction, and pioneering unprecedented 1,6-HAT reactions initiated by excited triplet-state alkenes. We demonstrate the synthetic utility and compatibility of this method across various functional groups, validated through scope evaluation, large-scale synthesis, and derivatization. Our findings are supported by control experiments, deuterium labeling, kinetic studies, cyclic voltammetry, Stern-Volmer experiments, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

Credentials, Perpetual “Foreignness”, and Feeling out of Place: Three Stories of Resilience from Teachers of Refugee Background

This qualitative research project seeks to examine the obstacles faced by educators who come to the U.S. as refugees. The three participants in this study are from Iraq, Sudan, and Turkey. While there are similarities between them, there are also differences in terms of race, sex, and religion. While this work examines practical barriers, such as those related to credentialing, it also considers how these educators negotiate their identity in the workplace. Using labeling theory, the impact of the category of refugee and how that label impacts work life is interrogated. Partially as a result of the labels associated with being a refugee, findings indicate that, for educators from refugee backgrounds, there are significant barriers to credentialing, their knowledge and experience from outside of the U.S. is rarely taken seriously in many workplace environments, and, consequently, a lack of confidence can easily develop. Despite all of this, educators from refugee backgrounds often have extensive experience in education and can more easily connect to diverse student populations and their families. Suggestions for how best to expand the hiring of educators from refugee backgrounds are provided, as well as implications for future research.

A lexicological response to Motschenbacher’s Linguistic Dimensions of Sexual Normativity (2022)

This article is a critical engagement with Heiko Motschenbacher’s Linguistic Dimensions of Sexual Normativity (2022), which examines the discursive construction of sexuality through the lens of normativity in the aim of empiricizing queer linguistic data via corpus methods. Underpinned by a lexicalist stance based on a novel Foucauldian argument and a readaptation of sociological “labeling theory”, the book argues for a lexically based construction of sexual normativity through the words used to describe sexual beings or practices. Critiques are proposed here concerning the work’s treatment of Foucauldian theory, labeling theory, and lexical history. By opposing normativity but also enacting it via guidelines for inclusive language use, the work under study raises political questions about linguistic authority. A sociolexicological approach, seeing the lexicon as the site of structured variation as for any other language feature, offers a way out of binary essentialist/constructivist thinking and opens alternate perspectives on interrogating the queer past and present.

Innovative Marketing Strategies for Attracting Millennial and Gen Z Travelers

Purpose: The general objective of the study was to explore the innovative marketing strategies for attracting Millennial and Gen Z travelers. Methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library. Findings: The findings reveal that there exists a contextual and methodological gap relating to the innovative marketing strategies for attracting Millennial and Gen Z travelers. Preliminary empirical review revealed the importance of leveraging technology, personalization, social media, and sustainability to engage these influential demographics. It was found that immersive technologies like VR and AR, personalized recommendations through AI, and sustainable practices significantly enhanced customer engagement and loyalty. Examples such as Marriott’s VR tours and Airbnb’s personalized itineraries demonstrated the effectiveness of these approaches. The study concluded that understanding and adapting to the unique preferences and values of Millennials and Gen Z were crucial for maintaining relevance and achieving growth in the travel industry. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The Critical Race Theory, Social Disorganization Theory and Labeling theory may be used to anchor future studies on innovative marketing strategies for attracting Millennial and Gen Z travelers. The study highlighted the importance of integrating immersive technologies like VR and AR, utilizing advanced data analytics and AI for personalization, and engaging with social media and influencers. It recommended that travel brands invest in these areas to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty. Additionally, it advocated for policy measures to support sustainable tourism and the involvement of local communities in tourism planning. The study contributed to theoretical advancements by expanding the understanding of consumer engagement and provided practical and policy recommendations to align with the values and preferences of these influential demographics. Keywords: Innovative Marketing Strategies, Millennial Travelers, Gen Z Travelers, Consumer Engagement, Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR)

Anaerobic cyanides oxidation with bimetallic modulation of biological toxicity and activity for nitrite reduction

Cyanide is a typical toxic reducing agent prevailing in wastewater with a well-defined chemical mechanism, whereas its exploitation as an electron donor by microorganisms is currently understudied. Given that conventional denitrification requires additional electron donors, the cyanide and nitrogen can be eliminated simultaneously if the reducing HCN/CN− and its complexes are used as inorganic electron donors. Hence, this paper proposes anaerobic cyanides oxidation for nitrite reduction, whereby the biological toxicity and activity of cyanides are modulated by bimetallics. Performance tests illustrated that low toxicity equivalents of iron-copper composite cyanides provided higher denitrification loads with the release of cyanide ions and electrons from the complex structure by the bimetal. Both isotopic labeling and Density Functional Theory (DFT) demonstrated that CN−-N supplied electrons for nitrite reduction. The superposition of chemical processes reduces the biotoxicity and enhances the biological activity of cyanides in the CN−/Fe3+/Cu2+/NO2– coexistence system, including complex detoxification of CN− by Fe3+, CN− release by Cu2+ from [Fe(CN)6]3−, and NO release by nitrite substitution of −CN groups. Cyanide is the smallest structural unit of C/N-containing compounds and serves as a probe to extend the electron-donating principle of anaerobic cyanides oxidation to more electron-donor microbial utilization.

The Efficacy of Restorative Justice Programs in Reducing Recidivism Rates

Purpose: This study sought to assess the efficacy of restorative justice programs in reducing recidivism rates. Methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library. Findings: The findings reveal that there exists a contextual and methodological gap relating to restorative justice programs in reducing recidivism rates. Preliminary empirical review revealed that restorative justice interventions were effective in reducing reoffending and promoting positive outcomes for both offenders and victims. Through processes such as victim-offender mediation and family group conferencing, restorative justice provided opportunities for offenders to take responsibility, repair harm, and engage in rehabilitation. While acknowledging variations in effectiveness based on offender characteristics and program implementation, the study highlighted the importance of continued investment in restorative justice initiatives to create a more just and equitable criminal justice system. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Labeling theory, Social Learning theory and Routine Activities theory may be used to anchor future studies on restorative justice programs in reducing recidivism rates. The study offered recommendations that contributed to theoretical advancements, practical improvements, and policy developments in the field. It emphasized the importance of exploring underlying mechanisms, standardized training for practitioners, and integration of restorative principles into mainstream criminal justice policies. These recommendations were aimed at enhancing the effectiveness and sustainability of restorative justice interventions in promoting positive outcomes for victims, offenders, and communities.

Understanding the Interplay of Race in the Criminal Justice System

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate and understand the interplay of race in the criminal justice system. Methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library. Findings: The findings reveal that there exists a contextual and methodological gap relating to the interplay of race, class and gender in the criminal justice system. Preliminary empirical review revealed that that pervasive racial disparities exist within this institution, as evidenced by disproportionate treatment of racial minorities at various stages of the criminal justice process. It found that despite efforts to promote fairness and equity, implicit biases and systemic racism continued to influence decision-making, leading to disparities in arrests, prosecutions, and sentencing. The study highlighted the interconnectedness of race with other social factors such as socioeconomic status and neighborhood characteristics and underscored the urgency of implementing evidence-based interventions and policy reforms to address racial disparities effectively. Recommendations included diversifying law enforcement agencies, implementing implicit bias training programs, and reforming sentencing guidelines to promote fairness and reduce disparities in incarceration rates. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The Critical Race theory, Labeling theory and Structural Functionalism may be used to anchor future studies on the interplay between race and the outcomes within criminal justice. The study provided recommendations that contributed to theory, practice, and policy. It integrated critical race theory into the analysis to explore systemic racism's role in perpetuating racial disparities. Practically, evidence-based policing strategies and procedural justice principles were emphasized, alongside community policing initiatives and accountability measures to address bias and misconduct. Policy recommendations included reforming sentencing laws, investing in alternatives to incarceration, and addressing social determinants of crime. The study contributed to theory by examining intersecting identities' impact and advocated for community-driven interventions, trauma-informed approaches, and reforms to reduce racial bias and enhance accountability within the criminal justice system.

The impact of poverty stigma on computer and information literacy among China's rural students

Rural middle school students often experience significant educational disparities compared to their urban peers, particularly in developing computer skills and computer and information literacy (CIL). However, there has been insufficient research on the impact of poverty stigma on their CIL development. To address this literature gap, this research examines the influence of poverty stigma and self-efficacy on CIL performance among rural eighth graders in two studies. Guided by the social cognitive theory and labeling theory, Study 1 (n1 = 2783) analyzes the mediating effects of family socioeconomic status and self-efficacy on CIL, while Study 2 (n2 = 2153) investigates the mediating effects of perceived poverty stigma at the dimensions of social stigma and self-stigma on CIL. The results suggest that poverty, family socioeconomic status, and computer use at school positively affect CIL, with self-efficacy mediating the relationship between them. While students from low-resourced families do not perceive social stigma as directly impacting their CIL, self-stigma plays a mediating role between perceived social stigma and CIL. These findings have significant implications for educators seeking to improve CIL in the digital age, emphasizing the importance of increasing computer access at school for better educational outcomes.

Effectiveness of Rehabilitation Initiatives in Reducing Recidivism in Tanzania: Evidence from Isanga and Ukonga Central Prisons

Although there have been different rehabilitation activities introduced by Tanzania Prison Services (TPS) since independence to reduce recidivism, the rate of recidivism has remained relatively high with the prevalence of reoffending and stigma on the part of ex-prisoners. Failure to effectively implement rehabilitation activities is said to be among the causes of an increase in recidivism by the ex-prisoners. With support from cognitive behavioural therapy, human capital theory, and labelling theory, this study aimed to explore the effects of rehabilitation activities on reducing recidivism in Tanzania by combining quantitative and qualitative analyses. Data were collected through surveys, interviews, discussions, and observations. Quantitative data were analysed through descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression, while qualitative data were analysed through content analysis. Findings revealed that informal rehabilitation activities were not able to reduce the reoffending behaviour of recidivists. The effective rehabilitation activities were those focused on life skills, psychosocial aspects, and educational programs. Problems such as curriculum design, financial constraints, infrastructure limitations, attendance problems, and varying literacy levels among prisoners pose obstacles to the effective rehabilitation of prisoners. Therefore, rehabilitation initiatives should focus on generating practical skills that contribute to the successful reintegration of prisoners into society. In addition, life skills, spiritual, psychological, and educational programs must be supported by authentic curricula and well-defined delivery modes. Prison management should also be sensitized to the importance of disciplinary science, aftercare services, and startup capital for enhancing reintegration, proper rehabilitation, and reducing recidivism among prisoners.

The employment of self-awareness in investigating public willingness to implement low-carbon: The application of labeling theory

Focusing on improving public willingness to implement low-carbon, this research investigated how labeling stimulus will affect environmental subjective norms and how environmental subjective norms can influence the willingness to implement low-carbon through the development, establishment, and consolidation of self-awareness. Hence, with the experimental method, this research invited the respondents to participate in an information stimulation experiment for verification. According to the results, individuals with single labeling stimulus have higher environmental subjective norms than those without labeling stimulus, while individuals with self-labeling stimulus have stronger environmental subjective norms than those with social labeling stimulus; individuals with labeling combination stimulus have higher environmental subjective norms than those with single labeling stimulus, while individuals received self-labeling before social labeling stimulus have stronger environmental subjective norm than those received social labeling before self-labeling stimulus. This research contributes to a theoretical perspective by (1) dividing labeling theory into stimuli and awareness, (2) explaining the relationship between self-consciousness and social responsibility from the perspective of social influence, (3) explaining how social labeling and self-labeling work, and (4) describing how self-awareness contributes to the development of individual knowledge. Moreover, this study suggests that designing corresponding advertising information strategies for each labeling stimulus can enhance people's environmental subjective norms.

Silver Metal-Organic Framework Derived N-Doped Carbon Nanofibers for CO2 Conversion into β-Oxopropylcarbamates.

Developing efficient heterogeneous catalysts for chemical fixation of CO2 to produce high-value-added chemicals under mild conditions is highly desired but still challenging. Herein, we first reported an approach to prepare a novel catalyst (Ag@NCNFs), featuring Ag nanoparticles (NPs) embedded within porous nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers (NCNFs), via growing a Ag metal-organic framework on one-dimensional electrospun nanofibers followed by pyrolysis. Benefiting from the abundant nitrogen species and porous structure, Ag NPs is well dispersed in the obtained Ag@NCNFs. Catalytic studies indicated that Ag@NCNFs exhibited excellent catalytic activity for the three-component coupling reaction of CO2, secondary amines, and propargylic alcohols to generate β-oxopropylcarbamates under mild conditions with a turnover number (TON) of 16.2, and it can be recycled and reused at least 5 times without an obvious decline in catalytic activity. The reaction mechanism was clearly clarified by FTIR, NMR, 13C isotope labeling, control experiments, and density functional theory calculations. The results suggest that Ag@NCNFs and 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene can synergistically activate propargylic alcohol to react with CO2, and then the generated α-alkylidene cyclic carbonate was invaded by secondary amine to produce β-oxopropylcarbamate. Importantly, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first experimental and theoretical investigation on this reaction.

Numerical and Scientific Investigation of Some Molecular Structures Based on the Criterion of Super Classical Average Assignments

Numbering a graph is a very practical and effective technique in science and engineering. Numerous graph assignment techniques, including distance-based labeling, topological indices, and spectral graph theory, can be used to investigate molecule structures. Consider the graph G, with the injection Ω from the node set to 1,2,…,∆, where ∆ is the sum of the number of nodes and links. Assume that the induced link assignment Ω∗ is the ceiling function of the average of root square, harmonic, geometric, and arithmetic means of the vertex labels of the end vertices of each edge. If the union of range of Ω of the node set and the range of Ω of the link set is the set 1,2,…,∆, then Ω is called a super classical average assignment (SCAA). This is known as the SCAA criterion. In this study, the graphical structures corresponding to chemical structures based on the SCAA criterion are demonstrated. The graphical depiction of chemical substances was first defined and second, the union of any number of cycles Cn, the tadpole graph, the graph extracted by identifying a line of any two cycles Cm and Cn, and the graph extracted by joining any two cycles by a path are all examined in this work.

Large-scale pied-piping in the labeling theory and conditions on weak heads

Abstract This paper discusses the concept of weak head in Chomsky’s (2015. Problems of projection: Extensions. In Elisa Di Domenico, Cornelia Hamann & Simona Matteini (eds.), Structures, strategies and beyond: Studies in honour of Adriana Belletti, 3–16. Amsterdam: John Benjamins) sense from a typological perspective. This paper first establishes a novel generalization that large-scale pied-piping is available in a language only if the language has indeterminate pronouns in Kuroda’s (1965. Generative grammatical studies in the Japanese language. Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology dissertation) sense and the clause to be pied-piped is head-final. To deduce this generalization, this paper first offers a labeling theoretic account of large-scale pied-piping. It then proposes that weak heads are (i) heads that have unvalued features and (ii) morpho-phonologically weak. It is shown that the generalization is deduced from this conception of weak heads, given Inaba’s (2011. The morphosyntax of constituent ordering patterns. The Hiroshima University Studies, Graduate School of Letters 71. 43–72) generalization that head-final complementizers are generally affixal. This paper further argues that the proposed conception of weak heads also allows us to deduce Agree from Minimal Search, which is a third factor principle according to Chomsky (2013. Problems of projection. Lingua 130. 33–49), hence minimizes UG.

Observation and Characterization of Vibrationally Active Surface Species Accessed with Nonthermal Nitrogen Plasmas.

Polycrystalline Ni, Pd, Cu, Ag, and Au foils exposed to nonthermal plasma (NTP)-activated N2 are found to exhibit a vibrational feature near 2200 cm-1 in polarization-modulation infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRAS) observations that are not present in the same materials exposed to N2 under nonplasma conditions. The feature is similar to that reported elsewhere and is typically assigned to chemisorbed N2. We employ a combination of temperature-dependent experiments, sequential dosing, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, isotopic labeling, and density functional theory calculations to characterize the feature. Results are most consistent with a triatomic species, likely NCO, with the C and O likely originating from ppm-level impurities in the ultrahigh-purity (UHP) Ar and/or N2 gas cylinders. The work highlights the potential for nonthermal plasmas to access adsorbates inaccessible thermally as well as the potential contributions of ppm-level impurities to corrupt the interpretation of plasma catalytic chemistry.

Favouring of Gifted Pupils by Elementary Teachers: A Labelling Theory Perspective

Improving the quality of care for gifted pupils also brings problems related to their favouring. Favouring, as a part of the labeling theory, leads to the selection of gifted and stagnation in their development, making it one of the risk factors. This study identifies and analyses pedagogical situations leading to favouring of gifted pupils. The qualitative research is conducted in the elementary schools in the Czech Republic (Central Europe). Data are obtained through observation of school lessons and from interviews with teachers and were subsequently analysed by the situational analysis. The study has found five typical situations, such as teachers’ increased expectations of gifted pupils, privileges only for gifted pupils, gifted pupil as the teacher’s assistant, additional tasks only for gifted pupils, and gifted pupil as the captain of group work. We also detect typical features leading to favouring as a privilege, representation, performance, segregation, lack of purpose, and rigidity. The study draws attention to the existence of high-quality formalized care for the gifted (anchoring care in school legislation), for which school practice is not sufficiently prepared.

The representation of Africa as a geography of disease: how the global north media reporting of the monkeypox virus reinforce stereotypes about Africa

This paper examines how the international media reporting on the monkeypox epidemic reinforces stereotypes about Africa and what this means for Africa in global power relations. How European and Western media depict Africa in their reporting of an epidemic creates and reinforces power dynamics and political bias along the lines of Africa being portrayed as a diseased-poor continent. The effect of these global inequalities is evident in the travel ban policies and the unequal distribution of vaccines. The concepts of hegemony, stigma, and labeling theory were used as theoretical approaches to analyze how foreign media hegemony creates and reinforces stereotypes about Africa through media reporting of an epidemic like the 2022 monkeypox virus. Online publications and tweets by Western and European media outlets were used as data to analyze foreign media hegemony while reporting the monkeypox outbreak in Europe and North America. As a counter-hegemony, African journalists reacted to foreign media agencies using African images to report disease outbreaks in the Global North. The conclusion and recommendation of this paper call for investment in African journalism to help Africa tell their own story and for African literature and researchers from Africa to contribute to global biomedical literature.