The Death and Resurrection of Deviance

“Contributors offers a fascinating discussion of the nature and significance of deviance in contemporary sociology. … the combination of voices, perspectives, and interesting case studies provides an interesting introduction and/or continuation for people interested in deviance or debates about the usefulness of the concept. … The Death and Resurrection of Deviance represents a useful addition to the ongoing evolution of sociological practice and debate.” (J. E. Sumerau, Symbolic Interaction, 2016)

"Students and scholars will find here a collection that digs deep into the core of the criminological project by examining the history, politics, challenges and, ultimately, ongoing relevance of studying social rule-breaking. This is a valuable survey of the field that restates the value of thinking about social deviation - offering thought-provoking analyses of the thorny question of how it is that behaviour can be condemned or celebrated. The editors have gathered a diverse and valuable set of contributions in the case for and against the study of deviance, deftly highlighting its sustained utility and profound relevance to our understanding of social harm and justice today." - Rowland Atkinson, University of York, UK.

"In Death of Deviance, the editors and contributors consider the meaning of 'deviance' across the long sweep of academic inquiry and political culture, from the whiff of stern condemnation that the concept sometimes carries to the sociological imagination that, at its best, it embodies. As their nuanced analysis shows, 'deviance' has time and again emerged as the crux where sociology intersects criminology, where pluralism confronts absolutism, where moral evaluation meets situational appreciation. Ultimately, this provocative book makes one thing clear: The sociology of deviance is dead; long live the sociology of deviance!" - Jeff Ferrell, Texas Christian University