God made man out of dust. The analyst reduces him to it. The self-concept has played an important role in theories of deviance since the Garden of Eden. As one of the final steps in the Creation, God planted a garden eastward in Eden and placed in it varieties of animals and plants, along with Adam and Eve. It was an idyllic environment, without enmity among living things and without death. Adam and Eve were given dominion of all things and directed to cultivate and beautify the garden. However, in this pristine condition, Adam an Eve would have had no children. God placed the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the midst of the garden and gave Adam and Eve their agency whether to partake of its fruit. Unless they ate, they would live forever in the garden, in peace and harmony. However, if they ate from the tree of knowledge, it would allow Adam and Eve to bear children and to learn good from evil by experience, including sorrow, pain, and death, and they would be exiled temporarily from the presence of God. The decision of Eve and Adam to transgress a commandment of God and partake of the fruit of the tree brought mortality and death to them and to their posterity; for it made it possible the human family upon the Earth. #RandolphHarris 1 of 8

My unconscious knows more about the consciousness of the psychologist than his or her consciousness knows about my unconscious. The significance of the Garden of Eden and its relevance to labeling theory of deviance is especially evident. In contrast to earlier social pathologists, who sought the causes of deviant behavior within the individual, the contemporary labeling theorist centers attention on society’s reaction to it. The interest of this school is in the effects of society’s application of a pejorative tag to the individual (for example, delinquent, convict, drug addict, alcoholic, mental patient), often by some official certifying agency, such as the school, courts, or hospital officials. The effects of labeling on the self-concept appear straightforward. First, these labels may become elements of social identity; like most such elements, they are socially evaluated (indeed, denigration is built into the very terms); and because they are associated with norm violations, they are deplored and condemned. Second, as with many other social identity elements, deviants tend to be stereotyped and treated accordingly. These stereotypes are, in effect, pre-packaged appraisals of the individual. Thus, a mental patient labeled dangerous may be treated that way by others though one’s last alleged aggressive act was ten years ago. #RandolphHarris 2 of 8

Neurosis is the coat of arms of culture, but there is a catch. We have more creators of coasts of arms than nobles. Here are how other labels stigmatize people. People labeled delinquent is assumed to be dishonest; the convict, dangerous; the homosexual, effeminate; and so on. The point is that society responds to the individual in terms of the stereotype attached to the label, not in terms of the actual person. Third, the labeled individual may come to develop a corresponding self-concept, and following the self-consistency principle, may behave in terms of it. Hence, by labeling the individual, society fosters the very behavior it deplores. And sometimes labeling is used as a brazen deprivation of personal liberty under the guise of psychiatry. Social labeling may affect the structure of the self-concept, when the officially certified label, in stead of being one among many social identity elements, becomes central to it. This idea, expressed in the term role engulfment holds that the deviant identity becomes of overwhelming important to the individual. This was bad enough in the eighteenth century; it is virtually intolerable in the twenty-first. The hero of humanity supports the freedom and dignity of all nations, religions, and professions and opposes only the conduct of evil and discrimination. “A false witness will not go unpunished, and one who breathes out lies will not escape (Proverbs 19.5).” #RandolphHarris 3 of 8

Like academic performance and the self-concept, it is apparent that the association between social deviance and the self-concept is reciprocal; each may affect the other. Meadian theory would lead us to expect people who are labeled as deviants to have lower self-esteem for at least two reasons. The first is that, in taking the role of the other, we tend to see ourselves through the eyes of particular others. If they deplore our deviance, our self-esteem would be expected to suffer. However, even in the absence of face-to-face interaction, Mead’s concept of the generalized other would produce much the same result. Internalizing the attitudes of the community as a whole, the deviant views oneself from the perspective of the broader society, that is, negatively and stereotypical. And that is why we have faith in God, God loves all of his children and is the ultimate authority. He does not want us to feel hurt and rejected nor be attacked relentlessly. “Judge not, that you be not judged. For what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again (Matthew 7.1-2).” The building of hope and faith and even greater love between receiver and giver are inevitable results of charity. Charity is an essential characteristic of those who will live with Heavenly Father in the celestial kingdom. #RandolphHarris 4 of 8

However, if deviance affects the self-concept, it is at least equally true that the self-concept may influence deviant behavior. Such an effect would be expected on grounds of the self-consistency motive. Deviant behavior may be a manifestation of the general principle that people behave in accordance with their conceptions of what they like. This appears to be the essential principle underlying influential theory of the self-concept as an insulator against delinquency. One question that puzzled us was why, in an environment in which delinquency was common, some boys become delinquent whereas others did not. Researchers studied a sample of boys in a high delinquency area who, according to their teachers’ predictions, were or were not likely eventually to get into difficulty with the law. The critical distinction between the two groups was whether the youngsters conceptualized themselves as delinquents or as good boys. Subsequent research revealed that these self-concepts were predictive of delinquent behavior. This conclusion was less trivial than it might at first appear. It demonstrated that delinquent behavior could not be explained exclusively in terms of blocked opportunity structure or individual psychopathology. Self-consistency—the striving to be true to one’s self-definition as a deviant or conformist—also played a role. #RandolphHarris 5 of 8

In addition to self-consistency, the self-esteem motive may also underpin deviant behavior. It has been suggested, for example, that the youngster may engage in delinquent behavior in order to enhance one’s self-esteem. Take a youth who is comparatively unsuccessful as a student, athlete, social leader, and so on. He commands little respect from parents, teachers, and peers, and seeing himself from their perspectives, has low self-esteem. Delinquency may help to enhance his self-respect in several ways. First, it provides him with a peer group—the delinquent gang—who do value and respect him; and the greater the deviance, the greater the respect. Second, he may find that he does have the ability (for example, strength, courage, and cunning) to succeed in various forms of delinquent behavior—fighting, pilfering, vandalism—in contrast to his failure as a student or a social leader. Third, in embracing delinquency, the youngster is likely to abandon the members of the straight society as his significant others. Although he may recognize that parents, teachers, and classmates deplore him more strongly than ever before, their views no longer count for him; his self-esteem now rests on the opinion of other deviants. If he wishes to enhance his self-esteem, then, he must behave in a way that commands their respect and approval, that is, behave in a deviant fashion. The war will perhaps achieve one thing, though it was surely not launched for this purpose: the victims of psychoanalysis will return cured. #RandolphHarris 6 of 8

The most compelling empirical evidence in support of these ideas is found in a study of 7,6181 seventh graders in Sacramento, California USA, ascertaining both their global self-esteem and their commitment of any of a wide range of deviant acts. We initially focused on the conformists, that is, those who had not committed any deviant acts at the time of the first interview. One year later these subjects were again asked whether they had committed deviant acts. It was discovered that those with initially low self-esteem were consistently more likely than those with high self-esteem to have committed one or more deviant acts in the subsequent year. These data are consistent with the interpretation that youngsters may turn to delinquency in order to enhance their self-esteem. Delinquency, of course, is only one type of deviance. Crime, drug addiction, alcoholism, sexual aggression, and unprovoked violation of human rights, and so forth have also been viewed as deviance. Although the data are very uneven, the evidence is clear that the self-concept is implicated in each of these forms of deviance, either as cause of effect. The psychoanalysts pick our dreams as if they were our pockets. #RandolphHarris 7 of 8

We have done nothing more than show that there is a distinction between an urn and a chamber pot and that it is this distinction above all that provides culture with elbow room. The others, those who fail to make this distinction, are divided into those who use the urn as chamber pot and those who use the chamber pot as urn. One of the most significant ways we can develop and demonstrate love for our neighbor is through being generous in our thoughts and words. Some years ago, a cherished friend noted, “The greatest form of charity may be to withhold judgment.” That is still true today. When we see our own imperfections more clearly, we are less inclined to view others through a glass, darkly. Psychoanalysis is like the poor man’s explanation of wealth. Because he lacks it, the others must have gained it by force or fraud. Anyway, they merely possess it; only the psychoanalyst understands it. I understand that psychoanalysis is a big hit in the United Sates. It figures: the Americans love everything they do not have, especially antiques and the soul. We want to use the light of the gospel to see others as the Savior does—with compassion, hope, and charity. The day will come when we will have a complete understanding of others’ hearts and will be grateful to have mercy extended to us—just as we extend charitable thoughts and words to others during this life. #RandolphHarris 8 of 8

CRESLEIGH HAVENWOOD

Lincoln, CA | from the high $600s

Now Selling!

No appointment needed! Cresleigh Havenwood features four distinct floor plans ranging from 2,293 – 3,377 square feet and offering up to five bedrooms.  Each plan has been thoughtfully designed and includes great features such as single story homes, guest suites, optional offices, garage workshops, and more! Get the most out of your new home with Cresleigh’s All Ready smart home featuring all the connectivity needed to keep your house running. Best of all, each Cresleigh home comes with owned solar included! 

Located off of Virginiatown Road and McCourtney Road, residents of the 83 homesites of Cresleigh Havenwood will benefit from a brand new neighborhood in the charming City of Lincoln. Palo Verde Park, is  just down the street and there’s plenty of recreation to take part in all around town. https://cresleigh.com/havenwood/