What’s in a name? revisiting the labelling perspective and its implications for labelling in schools

Abstract

This paper attempls to lease out the complexity of labelling behaviours in schools. In this chapter I argue that while educators, school administrators and educational policy makers ore well aware of the negative repercussions of labelling children and youth, and that while a complex paradigm shift towards inclusion has been well underway since the writings of the early labelling theorists in the 50's and 60's, covert and subtle forms of labelling are still rampant in schools. Labelling in modem educational institutions has become more covert, as has prejudice generally (Akrami et of., 2006). While today's educators are well aware of the criticism that would be levied against them if they were to label children and young people. the social-cognitive process of categorization continues to foster stereotyped thinking, labelling and consequent prejudicial attitudes (both explicit and implicit). [excerpt]