Social Deviance

by Henry, Stuart

• ISBN13: 9780745643045
• ISBN10: 0745643043
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-10-05
• Publisher: Polity Pr

Summary

This engaging introduction explores the meaning of social deviance in contemporary society, from criminal activity to alternative lifestyle choices. Stuart Henry traces the path by which we create deviance: how we single out behavior and appearances that differ from the 'norm', label them as offensive or unacceptable, and condemn them. It explains what kinds of behaviors are banned and who bans them, as well as exposing the important political influences on the social codes that lead to some people's behavior being sanctioned and others' being celebrated. Ultimately Social Deviance reveals the underlying process by which some people get sucked into deviant lifestyles from which there appears to be no escape, highlighting the central role of social stigma on a person's identity. At its core this book looks at who becomes deviant and why. It delves into the multiple motives that cause rule breakers to behave badly, at least in the eyes of those they offend, and it reveals the way deviants think about their actions, their moral identity and their fellow moral outcasts.

Author Biography

Stuart Henry, Professor and Director of the School of Public Administration and Urban Studies, San Diego State University

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vii
What is deviance?	p. 1
Why people ban behavior	p. 25
Why some people break rules: from extreme to mundane deviance	p. 44
Neutralizing morality and deviant motivations	p. 57
How people become deviants	p. 75
Responding to deviant designations and coping with stigma	p. 93
Becoming normal: the politics of stigma	p. 109
Conclusion: what can studying social deviance do for you?	p. 122
References	p. 129
Index	p. 137
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