ELASTICITY OF EVIL - CHANGES IN THE SOCIAL DEFINITION OF DEVIANCE

• NCJ Number: 27507
• Author(s): A K COHEN
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 39 pages
• Corporate Author: Oxford University
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: Canada
• Note: OCCASIONAL PAPER NO 7

Annotation

CHANGES IN THE SOCIAL DEFINITION OF DEVIANCE CAN RESULT FROM OUR STRIVINGS FOR IDENTIFY (OPPOSED TO ANONYMITY) AND RECOGNITION OF MERIT.

Abstract

TO ACHIEVE A POSITION OF NON-ANONYMITY IN A MORAL CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK, IT IS OFTEN NECESSARY OR DESIRABLE TO DISTINGUISH ONESELF THROUGH RELATIVE MERIT, EITHER THROUGH GOOD WORKS OR TOLERANCE AND UNDERSTANDING. IF IDENTITY REMAINS A DESIRED GOAL, AND THE AUTHOR STATES THAT IT HAS BEEN ONE IN THE PAST, THEN THE STRIVINGS OF IDENTITY SEEKERS BECOME DIRECTED TOWARDS A COMMON GOAL. AS MORE AND MORE PEOPLE REACH THE GOAL, THE MERIT THEY HAVE ACHIEVED LOSES VALUE IN ITS INCREASING UNIVERSALITY. NEW GOALS ARE THEN SET TO ACCOMODATE THOSE WHO HAVE SEEN THEIR NEW FOUND IDENTITY DIMINISH. THUS, EVIL IS A PART OF SOCIETY THAT MAY NOT BE DEFINED UNDER THE SAME PARAMETRS THAT IT HAD BEEN IN THE PAST, BUT THAT IS STILL DEFINABLE BY ITS DISTANCE FROM A SHIFTING CENTER OF MORALITY.