Bio: (1928-2023) American sociologist. Howard Becker received his doctorate from the University of Chicago and taught at Northwestern and Washington Universities. He belongs to the tradition of symbolic interactionism, and he mostly researched the areas of deviance, education, music, and art. He significantly contributed to the development of qualitative methodology.

His most famous book, Outsiders (1963), is the result of an empirical study of marijuana users. Contrary to the popular belief that marijuana users possess specific psychological characteristics, Becker concluded that every person has the potential to become a marijuana user if a combination of unfavorable circumstances occurs. He believes that sociologists, therefore, should focus on studying the process of becoming a marijuana user, as well as the meaning that the user attaches to marijuana use. In the very process of adopting deviant behavior, there are three different stages that build on each other. Becker believes that deviant behavior is not a consequence of the characteristics of the individual, but derives from the label that society imposes on some form of behavior. The labeling theory, which he developed, studies how the interaction between the environment and those who break the rules, shape their identity and draws them into deviant "careers".

In the field of methodology, Becker contributed to the development of participatory observation methods, interviews, case studies, as well as the application of computers in sociology. He believed that it was an illusion that there was completely value-neutral sociological research, and that sociologists should take the side of those who are endangered and oppressed.

Main works

Boys in White: Student Culture in Medical School (1961);

Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance (1963);

Making the Grade: The Academic Side of College Life (1968);

Art Worlds (1982);

Writing for Social Scientists: How to Start and Finish Your Thesis, Book, or Article (1986);

Tricks of the Trade: How to Think About Your Research While You’re Doing It (1998).