Extreme Deviance

Takes a look at normative violations that earn the violators a deviant identity in the eyes of the members of mainstream society.



Most primary deviation is of transitory significance and involves a fairly insignificant punishment. Extreme Deviance focuses on behavior, beliefs, and traits that are so serious as to generate, in the words of Edwin Lemert, secondary deviation. Editors Erich Goode and D. Angus Vail tunnel to the core of the subject by emphasizing a set of central lessons, offering edgy, pedagogically dramatic illustrations of principles that are contained in no other collection of readings. The book is complete with vocabularies of motive, deviance neutralization, the acquisition of a deviant identity, and the formation of a deviance subculture.

Key Features

• Exemplifies the concept of deviance to the fullest extent, from primary to secondary deviation: By focusing on extreme deviance, this book explores the full range of the consequence of normative violations.
• Presents vivid examples: Examples are dramatic, difficult to forget, and manifest from the normative violation through condemnation to the creation of deviance stereotyping, social isolation, and stigmatization.
• Offers an engaging text-reader format: Each chapter begins with a detailed introduction written by the editors followed by two selections written by sociological experts in the field and one personal account.

Intended Audience
This book is designed for undergraduate courses such as Sociology of Deviant Behavior, Deviant Behavior, and Social Deviance in the department of sociology.

Contributor to the SAGE Teaching Innovations and Professional Development Award