Using theories of positioning, emotion, and power as a lens, this study explores the lived experiences of a reader labeled as struggling who was enrolled in four different course contexts: traditional high school English, high school remedial reading, high school Young Adult Literature, and college English. Interview data suggests the participant…

Six hundred gifted students (grades 4 through 12) completed a survey eliciting information regarding their feelings about being labeled gifted. Results provided corroborative evidence that students perceive the label more positively than negatively. Most considered the label a "requirement" for admission to programs that offered challenging…

A survey explored perceptions of 14 adolescents regarding the effects of being labeled as gifted. On a list of attributes, a positive sense of accomplishment, feelings of being unique, and the ability to cover material in more detail received the highest positive ratings. (CR)

In reviewing theoretical patterns in the use of self-concept in studying deviance, three principal categories of theories of deviance are suggested: (1) structural interactionist analyses; (2) socialization-control analyses; and (3) labeling analyses. The discussion also deals with clarifying the explanatory role of the self-concept in deviance…

Data generated by 234 young black and white inmates in 1971 challenge the assumption that spoiled identity is a necessary, socially invariant outcome of deviant commitment and self-definition. For blacks, the relationship between criminal self-typing and stability and esteem is negative but inconsequential; for whites, the relationship is negative…

This article discusses the consequences of labeling individuals with high functioning autism and Asperger syndrome. It describes three ways people respond to a diagnosis: with energy and improved confidence, with a retreat into the disability and withdrawal from relationships, and with resentment for being singled out. (Contains three references.)…

Describes studies that investigate how labeling and stigmatization of the elderly might contribute to behavior that would confirm prevalent stereotypes of old age and lead to lowered self esteem and diminished feelings of control. Also discusses suggested strategies for social change. (Author/GC)

This qualitative study analyzed unstructured, open-ended interviews with 11 children in grades 1 through 6 identified as having specific learning disabilities. Analysis suggested that the children fabricated stories about where they went during resource time, not being able to read, and being called names and feeling bad about themselves.…

This study used symbolic interaction theory to address the following question: what is the self-identity, or perceived "I am," held by adolescents with learning disabilities (LD) in the public school environment? According to symbolic interaction theory, experiencing the label and role of specific learning disability would reflect the…

The concept of "adult status" for young people with disabilities is explored in terms of its social, psychological, legal, and policy implications. The report argues that traditionally institutionalized rehabilitation techniques, whether in education, vocational training, or sheltered employment, have tended not to encourage autonomy and…

Describes a many-faceted class activity involving readings, small group and class discussions, and writing an essay. Notes that, in the essay, the students first think and write about the names people have called them and/or their culture and then rename themselves, thereby gaining personal and political power. (SR)

This paper uses case studies of culturally diverse exceptional learners to illustrate the impact of teacher expectations on the "accuracy" or "inaccuracy" of student self-concepts. In addition, innovative techniques that reduce stereotypic labels and enhance "accurate" self-concepts are discussed. Critical issues in teacher expectation are…

Papers by Lloyd Dunn and Evelyn Deno are analyzed for their ideas about merging special and general education, labeling, and blaming students' failure to learn solely on teachers. Development of a culture of disability that uses the distinctive characteristics of persons with disabilities to develop a positive identity through congregation,…

This article explores the effects of labeling children as gifted, including possible sex differences in labeling effects, effects on self-concept and self-esteem, and effects on family and peer relationships. The need for empirical data regarding the process of labeling; the labeling event; and the changed or modified expectations of parents,…

Three issues are addressed in this research review. First, do gifted and average children differ in their self-concepts? Second, what, if any, are the effects on self-concept of labeling a child as gifted or exceptional? Third, does placing the child in a separate enriched or accelerated classroom have any impact on self-concept? The paper begins…