This edition first published 2017
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Library of Congress Cataloging‐in‐Publication Data
Names: Thompson, William E. (William Edwin), 1950– author. | Gibbs, Jennifer C., 1978– author.
Title: Deviance & deviants : a sociological approach / William E. Thompson, Jennifer C. Gibbs.
Description: Hoboken : Wiley‐Blackwell, 2016. | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016007515 (print) | LCCN 2016013846 (ebook) | ISBN 9781118604595 (paperback) | ISBN 9781118604694 (pdf) | ISBN 9781118604656 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Deviant behavior. | BISAC: SOCIAL SCIENCE / Criminology.
Classification: LCC HM811 .T468 2016 (print) | LCC HM811 (ebook) | DDC 302.5/42–dc23
LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2016007515
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Cover image: Matt Gone, also known as “The Checkered Man”. Photo © Jorge Dan Lopez/Reuters
Too often, people are led to believe that society’s norms are clearly defined, rigidly enforced, and arbitrarily followed or broken. Mass media and social media often reinforce these ideas and portray those who are labeled as deviant as being individuals who are somehow inherently different from the rest of us – social misfits, perhaps mentally, or at least morally, impaired. Indeed, some people are comforted by the notion that the world is dichotomous and can be neatly divided into good and bad, right and wrong, conformity and deviance. Because many people are curious as to what makes deviants “tick,” there is a tendency for definitions of deviance and deviants to take an individualistic and pathological approach emphasizing the uniqueness of those who violate society’s folkways, mores, and laws. The first wisdom of sociology, however, and the guiding principle for this book is: things are not what they seem (Berger, 1963). While acknowledging the uniqueness of individuals, Deviance & Deviants: A Sociological Approach insists that the study of deviance is not, as has been suggested, merely the study of “nuts, sluts, and preverts” (sic) (Liazos, 1972). Instead, this book places norm violation in a much broader sociological context and explores how both deviance (norm violating behaviors) and deviants (those believed to have committed those behaviors) are socially constructed and socially defined.
Some of the special features of this book include:
We invite you to open your minds as you open your books and explore the fascinating world of social deviance and social deviants. Apply your critical thinking skills as you read, asking questions and questioning answers.
This book is accompanied by a companion website:
www.wiley.com/go/thompson
The Deviance & Deviants: A Sociological Approach companion website features resources created by Christopher Michael Haraszkiewicz to help you use this book in university courses, whether you’re an instructor or a student.