NCJ Number
60258
Date Published
1979
Length
773 pages
Annotation
THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN DEVIANCE AND SOCIETY, THE INDIVIDUAL, AND SOCIETY'S INSTITUTIONS OF CONTROL AND REHABILITATION ARE EXPLORED IN AN ANTHOLOGY ON THE SOCIOLOGY OF DEVIANCE.
Abstract
THE 53 READINGS DEAL WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF DEVIANT CATEGORIES, THE MOTIVATIONS BEHIND DEVIANT BEHAVIOR, THE IDENTIFICATION OF INDIVIDUALS AND OF SEGMENTS OF SOCIETY AS DEVIANT, THE EFFECTS OF INSTITUTIONALIZATION ON DEVIANTS, AND EFFORTS OF DEVIANTS TO ERADICATE THE LABELS SOCIETY PLACES UPON THEM. READINGS IN PART 1 DESCRIBE HOW DEVIANT CATEGORIES EVOLVE AND HOW PEOPLE WHO VIOLATE DEVIANT CATEGORIES BECOME DEFINED AS SOCIAL DEVIANTS. PART 2 ANALYZES WHY PEOPLE ELECT TO VIOLATE DEVIANT CATEGORIES. INCLUDED ARE A VARIETY OF PERSPECTIVES ON MOTIVATION (FUNCTIONALIST, CULTURE, CONFLICT, DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION, NEUTRALIZATION, ANOMIE, DIFFERENTIAL OPPORTUNITY, CONFLICT THEORY, LABELING). THE DEVIANT CAREER, PARTICULARLY AS IT ARISES IN PRIVATE, NONINSTITUTIONAL SETTINGS (E.G., THE ALCOHOLIC'S FAMILY RELATIONSHIP) IS STUDIED IN PART 3. IN PART 4, THE WORKINGS OF SEVERAL 'PEOPLE-PROCESSING' AND 'PEOPLE-CHANGING' FACILITIES, RANGING FROM JUVENILE COURTS TO MENTAL HOSPITALS, ARE EXPLORED TO DETERMINE HOW SUCH INSTITUTIONS DEAL WITH CLIENTS AND HOW CLIENTS ADJUST THEIR BEHAVIOR AND SELF-CONCEPT TO THEIR SURROUNDINGS. PART 5 EXAMINES THE WAYS IN WHICH TRADITIONS AND NORMS OF DEVIANT SUBCULTURES, AS OPPOSED TO THE INSTITUTIONS OF SOCIETY, SHAPE THE CAREERS OF SKID ROW ALCOHOLICS, PROSTITUTES, GANG MEMBERS, SEXUAL DEVIANTS, AND OTHERS. PROCESSES BY WHICH DEVIANT BEHAVIOR AND CAREERS MAY BE REDIRECTED, WITH PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO BARRIERS CONFRONTING THOSE WHO WANT TO MOVE FROM A DEVIANT TO A NONDEVIANT STATUS, AND TO STRATEGIES THAT DEVIANTS MAY USE TO OVERCOME PREJUDICE AGAINST VIOLATORS OF SOCIETY'S CONVENTIONS ARE EXPLORED IN PART 6. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)