Theories Of Deviance Research Articles

Comment on Zekeri (2007)

Zekeri's comments (2007) on Bridges and Kunselman's work (2005) were not sufficiently grounded in sociological theory, the calculation of the "rates of potential years of life lost" (PYLL) was modified but unreported, and the use of PYLL, despite limitations as a measure of premature mortality "was not justified." The theoretical framework, however, consisted of "environmental" and "social group" statements which gave a specific means for grounding "premature mortality" in sociological theory, and findings were consistent with Lester's social deviancy theory of suicide (1989). How the "rates of PYLL" were calculated, i.e., by the Canadian government is misinterpreted, although Allard, et al. (2004) provided justification for the use of age-standardized rates of PYLL in their 2005 study.

Social Problems in Major League Baseball: Revisiting and Expanding Talamini’s Analysis Twenty Years Later

The purpose of this research was to review, revisit, and expand Talamini’s social problems within Major League Baseball (MLB). Talamini’s categories, which include gambling, player/managerial violence, spectator violence, cheating, crime, and greed are reviewed and applied to social problems in MLB since the original publication in 1987. In order to better understand social problems and deviant behavior within MLB, the original categories are related to specific deviance theories to better understand causation of deviance. Theories are then organized by Shoemaker’s proposed integrated model, which organizes causes of deviance on the structural, social-psychological, and psychological levels. Relating Talamini’s social problems categories to sociology of deviance theories, and then organized by Shoemaker’s proposed integrated model aids in better explaining MLB deviance. Recommendations are made to sport management practitioners, students, and scholars regarding how to ameliorate the aforementioned social problems.

Deviance and social control in sport

Chapter 1. The Normal and the Pathological in Sport Chapter 2. Sport Deviance Theories and Sociological Research Chapter 3. Youth Tribes in Sport Chapter 4. Animal Violence in Sport Chapter 5. Body Pathologies in Sport Chapter 6. Illness Narratives and Sport Chapter 7. Criminal Violence in Sport Chapter 8. Terror and Security in Sport Chapter 9. Toward a Public Sociology of Sport Deviance.

Moral Panic: Its Origins in Resistance, Ressentiment and the Translation of Fantasy into Reality

This paper addresses: the origins of moral panic in the New Deviancy Theory of the 1960s, particularly in the work of Albert Cohen and his notion of moral indignation which is rooted in the Nietzschian concept of Ressentiment; the emergence of the concept in the tumult of 1968 and in the intellectual context of the National Deviancy Conference; the key attributes of moral panic as arising out of fundamental changes in social structure and culture; and issues of moral disturbance because of conflicts in values. It concludes with a critique of recent uses of the concept and a reformulation of the notions of moral disturbance, disproportionality, displacement and volatility.

Deviant ancient histories: Dan Brown, Erich von Däniken and the sociology of historical polemic

Polemical works attacking fringe versions of the ancient past tend to be characterized by extreme positivism and a lack of reflexivity. It is rare to find polemics written for a popular audience by those of other methodological persuasions, for instance by ‘practical realists’ or deconstructionists. In explaining this fact, I examine some of the salient topoi in the polemical works attacking the outlandish theories of Dan Brown and Erich von Däniken, and suggest that these polemics should be understood by reference to Durkheimian theories of deviance. ‘Imagined communities’ of positivist historians (and also Christians) need the periodic identification and persecution of deviants, in order for such communities to define and maintain the boundaries of acceptable belief and practice. Attacks on ‘deviant ancient historians’ become contexts for positivist historians and Christian apologists to confront the more profound dangers posed to their communities by epistemic uncertainty and heterodoxy.

“Revenge” and “Rescue”: Workplace Deviance in the Taxicab Industry*

This study explores taxicab drivers’ acts of “revenge” and “rescue,” some of which are expressive acts, while others are more instrumental. This article builds on earlier theories of workplace deviance, demonstrating how deviance can serve different purposes and expanding the concept of “deviance admiration” (Heckert and Heckert 2004). It examines deviance in a circumstance—the taxicab industry—which introduces a tension between mandated conformity and necessary deviance: employees must conform to the employers’ rules and yet, to accomplish their jobs well, they need to abandon those rules occasionally. In addition to its theoretical contributions, this work has important practical applications for managers.

SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY AND NONMEDICAL PRESCRIPTION DRUG USE AMONG ADOLESCENTS

Adolescent substance use is an important area of research in sociology; however, there is a lack of research on nonmedical prescription drug use. The dearth of research on this topic is problematic given the relatively high prevalence of use among adolescents, the drastic increase in use in recent years, and the potential negative consequences from misusing prescription drugs. Using data from a national sample of adolescents, this research fills an important gap in the literature by testing one of the most prominent theories of deviance: social learning theory. Findings support variables related to social learning theory as correlates of nonmedical prescription drug use. Adolescents with definitions that are pro-substance use, whose peers use drugs, and whose parents and peers have attitudes that condone substance use are more likely to report nonmedical prescription drug use in the past year. Important implications and future research directions are discussed.

Inside the Grafters' Game

As the official football (soccer) economy has rapidly and globally grown to become one of sports' richest commercial engines, so too has its unofficial, or black, economy expanded. This article provides an insider account of some of the key features of football's black market, with a particular emphasis on ticket touting (scalping), fakery, forgery, and the murky independent travel business. In doing so, it provides a window into the deviant occupational subculture, lives, and lifestyles of the “grafters”—those characters who inhabit and make their living in this underground world. It concludes by locating the “grafters' game” in the wider context of the post-1980s urban-industrial landscape of Britain and theorizes the subculture in terms of classical and contemporary theories of deviance.

The Deviance Society

ABSTRACT Debate has recently become lively about the state of the sociology of deviance in our discipline. While some have condemned it as stale, lacking in new theoretical advances, we disagree with this assessment. We assert, rather, that the field of deviance offers unparalleled insight into society, particularly in current times. Deviance thrives in America, from the underbelly of hidden life worlds to the new frontiers of discovery and social change. Although groups resist the label of deviance and its consequences, the process of deviance-making has become so important that it is understood and practiced across a broad spectrum of people. In the following pages we offer some examples of the way concepts and theories of deviance have filtered into commonsense understanding of the world and how they illuminate the stratification, dynamics, and turmoil of America.

The Coming Out Experience for Bisexuals

ABSTRACT This paper reports findings from an undergraduate level qualitative study using semi-structured interviews to assess the way in which bisexuals form an identity and manage the stigma they receive from the greater society. Previous research has indicated that social support and social networks are a major factor in determining whether or not a bi-identified individual has accepted their identity. Other research has indicated bisexuals are in a constant state of confusion concerning their identity. The interviews examined three stages of identity (stemming from sociological research on deviance theory) including the initial stage in which one undergoes their initial interaction with another gender, the second stage in which a person openly identifies as bisexual and/or is labeled as such and the third stage in which a person begins to identify with and accept their newfound identity. In addition, the way in which bi-identified individuals manage and deal with the stigma they receive from the greater outside community and society as a whole is explored.

Carrying the Weight of Self-Derogation?Disordered Eating Practices as Social Deviance in Young Adults

ABSTRACT This study asks if self-derogation in early adolescence increases the odds of adopting disordered eating practices (DEPs) in young adulthood. Using a racially/ethnically diverse random sample of 1,209 youth, our (longitudinal) data show that both boys and girls who disliked themselves at age 13 were more likely to adopt disordered eating practices at age 22. Following Kaplan's theory of deviance, we view disordered eating as a form of internally directed deviance that youth may adopt in an effort to “correct” for negative self-feelings. We find that girls/women adopt DEPs more than boys/men do, although this is not true for African Americans. Family socioeconomic status fails to predict DEPs. Exploratory analyses aimed at understanding connections between self-derogation and DEPs show that perceptions about weight matter. In particular, women who are more anxious about their weight are more apt to engage in DEPs (compared to less anxious women). Our study contributes to debates about theories of deviance and theories of gender, relative to explaining disordered eating practices.

Do predisposing and family background characteristics modify or confound the relationship between drinking frequency and alcohol-related aggression? A study of late adolescent and young adult drinkers

The present study examined whether predisposing and family background characteristics confounded (common cause/general deviance theory) or modified (conditional/interactive theory) the association between drinking frequency and alcohol-related aggression. A secondary analysis of the US National Longitudinal Survey of Youth was conducted using a composite sample of drinkers, ages 17 to 21, from the 1994, 1996, and 1998 Young Adult surveys ( n = 602). No evidence of confounding of the relationship between drinking frequency and alcohol-related aggression was found. In addition, predisposing characteristics did not modify the association between drinking frequency and alcohol-related aggression. However, family background variables (mother's education and any poverty) were important explanatory variables for alcohol-related aggression among males, whereas recent aggression (fights at school or work) was an important predictor for females. Overall, lack of support for the conditional/interactive and common cause theories of the alcohol and aggression relationship suggests that alcohol has an independent explanatory role in alcohol-related aggression. In addition, the gender differences found in the present study highlight the need for more gender-focussed research on predictors of alcohol-related aggression, especially among adolescents and young adults.

Disentangling strain, personal attributes, affective response and deviance: a gendered analysis

This paper uses General Strain Theory (GST) to explore the relationship among strain, personal attributes, negative emotions, deviant behavior, and gender. Theories of deviance are frequently teste...

Working with Stories: An Active Learning Approach to Theories Of Deviance

As sociologists, we recognize the value of using theory as a lens through which, when focused, the patterns and structures of social life can be seen and studied amidst the idiosyncrasies of individual behavior. A theoretical framework is particularly necessary for sociology courses on deviance and criminology. Since many undergraduate students still tend to perceive crime and deviance as solely individualistic behaviors, an instructor must be able to clearly demonstrate how theory can be useful for understanding broader social causes and explanations of crime and deviance. As Williams, Rodeheaver, and Sethuraju (1995) highlight, little has been written about how to effectively teach criminology theory, deviance theory, or even social theory. In this article we describe an active learning technique, originally developed for a two-week intensive Sociology of Deviance course, that promotes enjoyable, stimulating, and applicable engagement with theory by combining a hypothetical case history with lecture, readings, and peer learning and teaching.

Stigmatisation, codes de conduite et culture de la tempérance aux États-Unis

This article proposes to apply the interactionnist theories of deviance defined by the sociologist Howard Becker to the analysis of the political process which has enabled "government entrepreneurs" to legitimize the imposition of New Temperance norms and to mobilize American people. Since the 1980s, the "New Temperance Movement" has grown stronger on the political arena in a context of fundamentalist expansion and political neoconservatism. However, contrary to the 19th century, the main religious groups do not openly participate in the political debate on alcohol ; the public health sector has become the new herald of temperance. The study of the stigmatization of wine in particular shows that the norms of temperance — abstinence, not moderation — target specific groups qualified as "vulnerable women" : under 55, young people, ethnic minorities, and underprivileged social classes. Moreover, cosmopolitan elites are also stigmatized for their "un-American" lifestyle. The attempt that is being made to control individual behaviors and mores reflects the spirit of moral crusades described by Becker.

Theorizing non-linear communities: on social deviance and housing the homeless

Theories of deviance abound; however, little attention has been given to the construction and meaning of deviance in postmodern society. According to some theorists, one conceptual variant of postmodernism is chaology or non-linear dynamical systems theory. In this article, the relevance of chaos theory for advancing our understanding of social deviance is examined. In particular, such notions as non-linearity, fractal space, attractors, self-similarity, bifurcations, and dissipative structures are described as constitutive of the postmodern agenda. These insights are then applied to the difficult and complex issue of housing the homeless, especially shelter strategies designed to create personhood and place for the poor and disenfranchised.

A Subcultural Study of Recreational Ecstasy Use

This article looks at the extent to which subcultural theories of deviance are still relevant to understanding recreational drug use, given the relatively widespread nature of drug use among today’s youth. In order to determine this, the social and subcultural use of the recently popular drug ‘ecstasy’ (MDMA) is examined using the research methods of semi-structured interviewing and observation. The data suggest that ecstasy use is a manifestation of a broad social involvement in a subculture of drug use. It is argued that subcultural theories of deviance provide an important understanding of ecstasy use in today’s society. A main conclusion drawn from the data is that the meaning of drug use has to be looked at in the context of the norms of behaviour and shared understandings of the drug-using subculture in which they are learnt.

Adult Social Bonds and Use of Internet Pornography*

Objective. Sociological theories of deviant behavior have not been systematically applied to the problem of who uses and who does not use cyberpornography on the Internet. The present study contributes to the literature by providing the first systematic application of selected sociological theories of deviance to the problem of explaining use of cyberpornography. It tests a blended theoretical perspective, which includes measures from social control and opportunity theories of deviance, as well as measures of broader deviant lifestyles, as possible predictors of use of cyberporn. A key hypothesis is that persons with the strongest ties to conventional society will be less likely than others to use cyberporn.Methods. Complete data on 531 Internet users are taken from the General Social Surveys for 2000. Social bonds measures include religious, marital, and political ties. Measures of participation in sexual and drug‐related deviant lifestyles, and demographic controls are included.Results. The results of a logistic regression analysis found that among the strongest predictors of use of cyberporn were weak ties to religion and lack of a happy marriage. However, past sexual deviance (e.g., involvement in paid sex) was also a strong predictor of cyberporn use. Overall the model explained 40 percent of the variance in porn use on the Internet.Conclusion. Traditional theoretical perspectives on deviance are apparently applicable to this new form of deviant behavior.

Re-framing Stigma: Felt and Enacted Stigma and Challenges to the Sociology of Chronic and Disabling Conditions

This paper comprises a re-examination of the concept of stigma as applied to health and illness. It takes as its point of departure the author's hidden distress model of epilepsy posited in the 1980s. This model is outlined and subject to critique under the headings of conceptual decisions, theoretical context, and biographical impact. It is argued that although the model retains partial validity, its principal weaknesses are its neglect of important sociological questions more commonly posed since its formulation. An examination of these questions is followed by a consideration of stigma relations oriented towards a re-framing of stigma more appropriate for a changed, and changing, social world. A core contention is that interactionist theories of deviance and stigma alike focused almost exclusively on institutional and symbolic orders and paid scant attention to social structures and axes of power. The paper concludes with a provisional re-working of the hidden distress model of epilepsy that takes account of this contention.

Fame and strain: the contributions of mertonian deviance theory to an understanding of the relationship between celebrity and deviant behavior

This paper argues that Merton's original means/goals gap theory can be used to understand the emerging relationship between deviant behavior and the acquisition of celebrity status. The intent is to illuminate how forms of deviant behavior have become adaptive responses to the structurally anomic conditions that have resulted from popular culture's incessant emphasis on the desirability of fame and celebrity status, and the structurally limited means by which it can be legitimately achieved. Merton's original forms of adaptation—innovation, retreatism, rebellion, and ritualism—are explored in relation to this increasingly important phenomenon.