NCJ Number
193747
Date Published
2000
Length
480 pages
Annotation
This book describes the attitudes, behavior, and characteristics of deviants.
Abstract
Behavior, beliefs, or characteristics that violate, depart, or “deviate” from a basic norm and that are likely to generate negative reactions in persons who observe or hear about them are called social deviance or “deviance.” Chapter 1 describes the four reasons why violating a norm is not the same thing as being a deviant. They involve the matter of degree, numbers, power, and a sociologically patterned process. There are two ways of becoming a deviant: first, by being personally stigmatized by others, and second, by being associated with a category or collectivity that attracts stigma or public scorn. The definition of defiance is further explained in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 explains two approaches to deviance -– positive and constructionism. Chapter 4 describes the positive theories of deviant behavior, including free will, anomie or strain theory, learning theory, and social control theory. Chapter 5 focuses on the constructionist theories of deviance, which include functionalism, labeling, conflict theory, and feminism. Chapter 6 describes criminal behavior such as murder, forcible rape, robbery, and white-collar crime. Chapter 7 presents drug use as deviant behavior, focusing on the classification of drugs and their effects, and the extent of drug use in the United States. Chapter 8 describes the use of legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco. Chapter 9 focuses on heterosexual deviance, while Chapter 10 presents views on male and female homosexuality as deviance. Chapter 11 documents physical characteristics, such as physical disability, tattooing, obesity, and intersexuality, as deviance. Cognitive deviance, such as religious deviance, parapsychology, and urban legends, are described in Chapter 12. Chapter 13 describes the various forms of mental illness. Chapter 14 explains the ideological, ethical, and moral implications of studying deviance. References, indexes