NCJ Number
53606
Journal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CRIMINOLOGY AND PENOLOGY Volume: 6 Issue: 4 Dated: (NOVEMBER 1978) Pages: 319-338
Date Published
1978
Length
20 pages
Annotation
RESEARCH ON THE CONCEPT OF DEVIANCE IS REVIEWED, AND SOCIAL REGULATION AND OTHER TECHNIQUES FOR THE CONTROL OF DEVIANCE ARE EXPLORED.
Abstract
TWO LESSONS TO BE DRAWN FROM THE EVOLUTION OF DEVIANCE SOCIOLOGY ARE THAT THE STUDY OF SOCIAL CONTROL CONSTITUTES, IN ITSELF, AN AUTONOMOUS PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE APPROACHED AS SUCH RATHER THAN CONFINING RESEARCH TO CLASSICAL CONCEPTIONS OF DEVIANCE, AND THAT THE IMPORTANCE OF LITTLE OR NONINSTITUTIONALIZED MECHANISMS WITH SOCIAL CONTROL PROCESSES MAKES IT HIGHLY DESIRABLE TO APPLY METHODS OF REPRESENTATION SOCIOLOGY. IN A CONCEPTUAL SENSE, DEVIANCE DOES NOT EXIST BUT CAN ONLY BE CONCEIVED OF WITH RESPECT TO A NORM. DEVIANTS ARE PERCEIVED AND REPRESENTED IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS AS DIFFERENT FROM THE REST OF THE SOCIAL WHOLE. THE SOCIAL CONTROL OF DEVIANCE, THEREFORE, IS LINKED TO THE STRUCTURING OF POWER WITHIN SOCIETY. REPRESENTATIONS OF DEVIANCE IN RESEARCH STUDIES ARE STRUCTURED BY A NUMBER OF ATTITUDE DIMENSIONS. GENERAL PARAMETERS IN THE SOCIAL REGULATION OF DEVIANCE ARE THE FAMILY, SCHOOLS, SOCIETY, OPINIONS, THE WORK ENVIRONMENT, AND THE TYPOLOGY OF THE VARIOUS SOCIAL REPRESENTATIONS OF DEVIANCE. PURELY REPRESSIVE, SOCIAL OR MEDICAL, AND BARELY INSTITUTIONALIZED TECHNIQUES FOR DEVIANCE CONTROL ARE DETAILED. NOTES AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)