Understanding Deviance

'Understanding Deviance' provides an indispensable guide to the major themes and theories which have come to form the sociology of crime and deviance, from their origins in the research of the University of Chicago sociology department in the 1920s to the most recent work in cultural criminology.

'Understanding Deviance' provides an indispensable guide to the major themes and theories which have come to form the sociology of crime and deviance, from their origins in the research of the University of Chicago sociology department in the 1920s to the most recent work in cultural criminology.

This is the new edition of the textbook, 'Understanding Deviance', that guides the new student through the major sociological theories of crime, deviance and control. It offers an in-depth discussion of all the prominent theories of deviance.

In this collection of 48 reprinted and completely original articles, Tammy Anderson gives her fellow instructors of undergraduate deviance a refreshing way to energize and revitalize their courses. [36 are reprints; 12 are original to this text/anthology] First, in 12 separate sections, she presents a wide range of deviant behaviors, traits, and conditions including: underage drinking and drunk driving, doping in elite sports, gang behavior, community crime, juvenile delinquency, hate crime, prison violence and transgendered prisoners, mental illness, drug-using women and domestic violence, obesity, tattooing, sexual fetishes, prostitution, drug epidemics, viral pandemics, crime control strategies and racial inequality, gay neighborhoods, HIV and bugchasers, and (lastly) youth, multicultural identity and music scenes. Second, her pairing of "classic" and "contemporary" viewpoints about deviance and social control not only "connects" important literatures of the past to today’s (student) readers, her "connections framework" also helps all of us see social life and social processes more clearly when alternative meanings are accorded to similar forms of deviant behavior. We also learn how to appreciate and interact with those who see things differently from ourselves. This may better equip us to reach common goals in an increasingly diverse and ever-changing world. Third, a major teaching goal of Anderson’s anthology is to sharpen students’ critical thinking skills by forcing them to look at how a deviant behavior, trait or condition, can be viewed from opposing or alternative perspectives. By learning to see deviance from multiple perspectives, students will better understand their own and other’s behavior and experiences and be able to anticipate future trends. Balancing multiple perspectives may also assist students in their practical work in social service, criminal justice and other agencies and institutions that deal with populations considered "deviant" in one way or another.

Standards have become widespread regulatory tools that are set to promote global trade, innovation, efficiency, and quality. They contribute significantly to the creation of safe, reliable, and high quality services and technologies to ensure human health, environmental protection, or information security. Yet intentional deviations from standards by organizations are often reported in many sectors, which can either contribute to or challenge the measures of safety and quality they are designed to safeguard. Why then, despite all potential consequences, do organizations choose to deviate from standards in one way or another? This book uses structuration theory - covering aspects of both structure and agency - to explore the organizational conditions and contradictions under which different types of deviance occur. It provides empirical explanations for deviance in organizations that go beyond an understanding of individual misbehaviour where mainly a single person is held responsible. Case studies of software-developing organizations illustrate insightful generalizations on standards as a mechanism of sensemaking, resource allocation, and sanctioning, and provide ground to re-think corporate responsibility when deviating from standards in the 'audit society'.

In this book deviance through technology and media is explained. Contributors examine substance abuse, gun violence, terrorism, adolescent substance use, deviance and crime, fear of terrorism, Kurdish pride gang, media exposure, secularization and modernity, social control, social order, and the impact of Covid-19 on children’s lives.

How does social regulation shape who is “deviant” and who is “normal”? Critical Perspectives on Social Control and Social Regulation in Canada is an introduction to the sociology of what has traditionally been called deviance and conformity. This book shifts the focus from individuals labelled deviant to the political and economic processes that shape marginalization, power and exclusion. Class, gender, race and sexuality are the bases for understanding deviance, and it is within these relations of power that the labels “deviant” and “normal” are socially developed and the behaviours of those less powerful become regulated. This textbook introduces readers to theories and critiques of traditional approaches to deviance and conformity. Using vivid and timely examples of contemporary social regulation and control, this textbook brings to life how forces of social control and marginalization interact with social media, sex work, immigration, anti-colonialism, digital surveillance and social movements, and much more. Theories and critiques are clarified with summaries, definitions, rich illustrative examples, discussion questions, recommended resources and test banks for instructors.