Labelling

For other uses, seeLabelling (disambiguation).

Labellingor using alabelis describing someone or something in a word or short phrase.For example, thelabel"criminal" may be used to describe someone who has broken a law.Labelling theoryis a theory insociologywhich ascribes labelling of people to control and identification of deviant behaviour. It has been argued that labelling is necessary for communication.However, the use of the term is often intended to highlight the fact that thelabelis a description applied from the outside, rather than something intrinsic to the labelled thing. This can be done for several reasons:

• To provoke a discussion about what the best description is
• To reject a particular label
• To reject the whole idea that the labelled thing can be described in a short phrase.

This last usage can be seen as an accusation that such a short description is overly-reductive.

Giving something a label can be seen as positive, but the termlabelis not usually used in this case. For example, giving a name to a common identity is seen as essential inidentity politics.

Labelling is often equivalent topigeonholingor the use ofstereotypesand can suffer from the same problems as these activities.

The labelling of people can be related to areference group.For example, the labelsblackandwhiteare related toblack peopleandwhite people;the labelsyoungandoldare related toyoung peopleandold people.

The labelling ofworks of artcan be related togenre.For example, a piece of music may be described asprogressive rockorindieor ragga jungle drum and bass. However, there are other labels that can be applied to a work, such asderivative,loworhigh.The use of the word labelling is less common in the context of works of art than people. However, it also often represents the rejection of a label. For example, anartistmay feel that the labeller is attempting to restrict the scope of the artist's work to that which is covered by the label.

On the internet

Labelling on the web represents thechunks of informationin information environments, where labelling is perhaps the most obvious way to show a site'sorganization schemesacross multiple systems and contexts.

Labelling systems are one of the major components ininformation architecture,and one of the first steps of an information architecture project is to identify, organize and label relevantchunks of information.When creating labels, the goal is to communicate efficiently, and without taking up too much space. Labels should be written in a language that's familiar to the users, and in a way that they will detect new and recognize similar concepts.

In an information environment, labels are either textual or iconic.

Textual labels

Contextual links arehyperlinksto information on other pages or another location on the same page, and need to draw meaning from their surrounding text.

Labels are often used as headings to present subsequent information and create a hierarchy within contents. A hierarchical relationship between headings is established visually through consistent use of numbering, font size, color and styles, white spaces, indentation, or a combination of these items.

When used in a navigation system there is no standard, but common categories might be:

• Main, Main Page, Home
• Search, Find, Browse, Search/Browse
• Site Map, Contents, Table of contents, Index
• Contact, Contact Us
• Help, FAQ,
• News, News and events, News and announcements, Announcements
• About, About us, About, Who we are.

Index terms are often referred to as keywords, tags, descriptive metadata, taxonomies, controlled vocabularies, and thesauri. Such labelling systems can describe any type of content such as sites, subsites, pages, or content chunks.

Iconic labels

Browser navigation icons for "back", "forward", "reload" and "home page"

Icons can serve as a substitute for text to represent information. Iconic labels are used as navigation systems, especially in mobile apps, where screen space is constrained.

In argumentation

In context of argumentation and debate, labelling a debater or position is often (whether consciously or unconsciously) used as a "red herring"to divert or dismiss the argument, instead of validargumentation.Often in the form ofad hominem association fallacyaiming at accrediting or discrediting the argument or the debater by associating them with an emotionally charged label. Typically negatively; labelling it asridiculousordespicable,though it can also go the other way round; attempting to gain sympathy for example by promoting the debater or position asauthoritative,or by appealing topity.

Using labelling in argumentation this way constitute aninformal fallacy.For example:

"Jones believes that it can be done with the right technology."

"Jones is adeluded fool."(ie. therefore it can never be done.)

"The witness claim to have seen something that indicates foul play."

"It isparanoidto assume foul play. "(ie. therefore whatever the witness might have seen is irrelevant.)

"Markings indicate that it was done with a crowbar. And secondly, Smith is a suspect."

"It isridiculousto suspect Smith. "(ie. therefore it is also ridiculous to assume it was done with a crowbar.)

"It has been suggested that something it said in the book could be wrong."

"It is avery noblebook. "(ie. Therefore the suggestion is wrong.)

Labelling in science

Mario Bunge(1967) rejected labelling (labeling) as 'name calling' and 'pseudo-explanation'.Furthermore he observed that it 'is conspicuous in ideological debate, in pseudoscience, and even in the early stages of science (protoscience).'

See also

• Archetype
• Association fallacy
• Attributional bias
• Discrimination
• Infrahumanisation
• Labelling theory
• Loser
• Pigeonholing
• Role suction
• Slut-shaming
• Social stigma
• Stereotype