Abstract
The 2019 film, Joker, showcases the transformation of the main character, Arthur Fleck, from a downtrodden member of society to the famed comic book character: the Joker. Details of the film imply that Arthur’s transition into the Clown Prince of Crime is largely attributed to the way that society treats him. Howard Becker’s labeling theory (Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance. Free Press, 1963) posits that the way that society reacts to an individual’s deviance can lead them to join a deviant subculture and further engage in crime. This chapter applies Becker’s theory to the Joker film. Specifically, this chapter will detail the process in which Arthur’s primary deviance, and society’s reaction to both him and his actions, led him to adopt the Joker as his master status. This chapter concludes with a discussion of the implications of our application to Joker and labeling theory broadly.
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Reed, S.M., Boppre, B. (2021). Labeling Theory and Joker. In: Daly, S.E. (eds) Theories of Crime Through Popular Culture. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-54434-8_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-54434-8_13
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