What term means the process of defining a person or group in a particular way so that certain behaviour is expected of them?

What term means the process of defining a person or group in a particular way so that certain behaviour is expected of them?

• A. Discrimination
• B. Ethnocentrism
• C. Cultural Capital
• D. Labelling

Answer: (D)

Labelling refers to defining someone or a group in a specific way that sets up expectations for how they should behave. When a label is attached—such as “troublemaker,” “deviant,” or a stigmatized identity—people around them start treating them in line with that label. That treatment reinforces the expected behavior, and the person may begin to act to fit the label, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. This is the core idea behind labeling theory in sociology, which shows how social interactions and perceptions shape actual behavior. Discrimination is about unequal, unfair treatment based on group membership; ethnocentrism is judging other cultures by one’s own standards; cultural capital is about the advantages gained from cultural knowledge and skills. These ideas describe other social processes, not the way a label itself drives behavior.

Labelling refers to defining someone or a group in a specific way that sets up expectations for how they should behave. When a label is attached—such as “troublemaker,” “deviant,” or a stigmatized identity—people around them start treating them in line with that label. That treatment reinforces the expected behavior, and the person may begin to act to fit the label, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. This is the core idea behind labeling theory in sociology, which shows how social interactions and perceptions shape actual behavior.

Discrimination is about unequal, unfair treatment based on group membership; ethnocentrism is judging other cultures by one’s own standards; cultural capital is about the advantages gained from cultural knowledge and skills. These ideas describe other social processes, not the way a label itself drives behavior.