TY - JOUR

T1 - Truth in labeling

T2 - Are descriptions all we have?

AU - Dellwing, Michael

PY - 2011/8

Y1 - 2011/8

N2 - The present article draws on some parallels between pragmatism and the interactionist sociology of deviance to discuss the quest for liberatory consequences often associated with the Labeling Approach (LA). Both pragmatism and the LA exhibit a tension between their antifoundationalist nominalism and their liberatory meliorism. This tension revolves around the question if the insight that "descriptions are all we have" leads to a possibility to change these descriptions. While many proponents of the LA have thought so, antidualist formulations of pragmatism have mellowed this hope without destroying it: Descriptions can always change, but it is rarely antifoundationalist theory that changes them.

AB - The present article draws on some parallels between pragmatism and the interactionist sociology of deviance to discuss the quest for liberatory consequences often associated with the Labeling Approach (LA). Both pragmatism and the LA exhibit a tension between their antifoundationalist nominalism and their liberatory meliorism. This tension revolves around the question if the insight that "descriptions are all we have" leads to a possibility to change these descriptions. While many proponents of the LA have thought so, antidualist formulations of pragmatism have mellowed this hope without destroying it: Descriptions can always change, but it is rarely antifoundationalist theory that changes them.

KW - Sociology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79960207241&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/01639625.2010.514206

DO - 10.1080/01639625.2010.514206

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:79960207241

VL - 32

SP - 653

EP - 675

JO - Deviant Behavior

JF - Deviant Behavior

SN - 0163-9625

IS - 7

ER -