Defining Deviance

(from Goode, 4th-8th, 1994-2008 chapters 2 and 3. See the disclaimer)

Essentialism (Positivism) versus Constructionism

Essentialism: phenomena have distinct and consistent essences. True, real, objective and universal.

Constructionism: categories/essences are social vs. natural.

Constructionist Approaches to Deviance

Marco-Level v. Micro-Level
    units of analysis for examining phenomena

1. Macro-Level - (big, broad, structural)

2. Micro-Level - (small, face-to- face interactions)

Definitions of Deviance

Problematic, yet "taken-for-granted" definitions:

Useful, Sociological Definitions of Deviance:

Normative: essentialism, but relativity

Reactive: constructionism and relativity

"Soft" (modified) Reactive

So, We need to focus on:

    1. Actor: who is it, status violations
    2. Audience: Actor, Victim, Peers, Subculture, Official Agents of Social Control, Wider Society, Other Societies, Historical Societies.
    3. Situation: Temporal and Spatial

Contingencies

Who and what we define as deviance is not simply based on some intrinsic characteristic of an act or an actor. It is, in part, always influences by the social context.

"In sum, by deviance I mean one thing and one thing only: behavior or characteristics that some people in a society find offensive or reprehensible and that generates--or would generate if discovered--in these people disapproval, punishment, condemnation of, or hostility toward, the actor or possessor....What we have to know is, deviant to whom?" (Goode, 1994, page 29)

Deviance is a label attached to people and acts

Deviance entails a type of social relationship

Deviance is a non-evaluative term

Nuts, Sluts and Preverts ?

("The Poverty of the Sociology of Deviance: Nuts, Sluts, and Preverts," Liazos, 1972, in Pontell, 1996; and discussed by Goode, 1994, chapter 2)

Deviance and Social Control

Deviance and Crime

Deviance and Social Problems

Politics and Deviance

    Examples:

Deviance: Process

Society and Social definitions are eternally changing, dynamic affairs. Origins of ideas, definitions, meanings must be critically examined.

Deviance:

Facts:

  1. For a Kazakh version see: http://theworkscited.com/defining-deviance/, translated by Alana Kerinova, August 2018.
  2. For a French version see: http://stripeswebservices.com/definir-la-deviance.html, translated by Laura Beoschat, January 2019.
  3. For a Thai version see: http://eduindexcode.com/defining-deviance/, translated by Ashna Bhatt, Octorber 2019.

Theory and Theories of Deviance

URL: http://www.umsl.edu/~keelr/200/defdev.html
Owner: Robert O. Keel rok@umsl.edu
References and Credits for this Page of Notes
Last Updated: Friday, October 11, 2019 10:20 AM