“I cannot say enough about this text and have been using it since it was first published. It is well-written, clear, scholarly, focussed, and well priced.” — Arthur Ferrari, Connecticut College
“This is a classic book that I have been using for years. Thank you for reissuing it. You have done a great service to the subfield of deviance.” — A. Javier Trevino, Wheaton College
“It is the only work I have found that integrates religious, psychological, and law enforcement interests with those of sociology. It also makes major use of the critical (including the postmodernist) perspective in its analysis. Your pricing is an important improvement as well.” — James Truitner, City College of San Francisco
“Awesome book. The frameworks as described by Pfohl are of great use to students in applying theories to contemporary contexts.” — Leslie Elrod, University of Cincinnati
528 pages, $64.95 list
1-57766-619-4
978-1-57766-619-6
© 1994
paperback
Images of Deviance and Social Control
A Sociological History
Second Edition
Criminals. Witches. Rebels. Outsiders. Lunatics. Regardless of label, these groups stand outside the common sense of society and its relations of power. Whether by anguish, accident, or desire, they resist falling in line with that power. The story told within this comprehensive, thought-provoking text is a sociological one. Pfohl employs a social-historical perspective to describe and analyze the theory, methods, and control policies associated with nine major ways of conceiving deviant behavior. He analyzes each of the nine perspectives with three objectives: to describe the basic theoretical imagery, research strategies, and social control policies associated with the perspective; to locate the perspective within a general sociohistorical framework; and to develop a sense of critical evaluative thinking regarding the perspective’s strengths and weaknesses.
The theoretical perspectives examined span a wide variety of religious, legal, medical, psychological, social, economic, and political concerns. Throughout, attention is drawn to the ways that both images of deviance and strategies of social control are shaped by powerful social forces located at the historical intersections of gender, race, and class. In addition, references to literature, film, music, and painting are integrated to show parallels between images of deviance produced by scientists and those produced by artists.
The theoretical perspectives examined span a wide variety of religious, legal, medical, psychological, social, economic, and political concerns. Throughout, attention is drawn to the ways that both images of deviance and strategies of social control are shaped by powerful social forces located at the historical intersections of gender, race, and class. In addition, references to literature, film, music, and painting are integrated to show parallels between images of deviance produced by scientists and those produced by artists.
Reactions
1. Images of Deviance and Social Control
Controlling Normal and Deviant Social Life / Theoretical Perspectives / How This Book Is Organized
2. The Demonic Perspective: Otherworldly Interpretations of Deviance
Introduction / Theoretical Images / Identifying Demonic Deviance / Social Control of Demonic Deviance / The Demonic Perspective Today / Assessment of the Demonic Perspective
3. The Classical Perspective: Deviance as Rational Hedonism
Introduction / Theoretical Images / Identifying Classical Deviance / Social Control of Classical Deviance / The Classical Perspective Today / Assessment of the Classical Perspective
4. The Pathological Perspective: Deviance as Sickness
Introduction / Theoretical Images / Social Control of Pathological Deviance / The Pathological Perspective Today / Assessment of the Pathological Perspective
5. The Social Disorganization Perspective: Rapid Change and Normative Breakdown in the Slums of Chicago
Introduction / Theoretical Images / Identifying Disorganizational Deviance / Social Control of Disorganizational Deviance / The Disorganizational Perspective Today / Assessment of the Disorganization Perspective
6. The Functionalist Perspective: Cybernetics, Negative Feedback, and the Benefits of Deviance
Introduction / Theoretical Images / Identifying Functional Deviance / Social Control of Functional Deviance / The Functionalist Perspective Today / Assessment of the Functionalist Perspective
7. The Anomie Perspective: Normlessness, Inequality, and Deviant Aspirations
Introduction / Theoretical Images / Identifying Anomic Deviance / Social Control of Anomic Deviance / The Anomie Perspective Today / Assessment of the Anomie Perspective
8. The Learning Perspective: Acquiring Deviance in Association with Others
Introduction / Theoretical Images / Identifying Learned Deviance / Social Control of Learned Deviance / The Learning Perspective Today / Assessment of the Learning Perspective
9. The Societal Reaction Perspective: Labeling and the Social Construction of Deviance
Introduction / Theoretical Images / Identifying Societal Reaction Deviance / Social Control of Societal Reactions to Deviance / The Societal Reaction Perspective Today / Assessment of the Societal Reaction Perspective
10. Critical Perspectives: Toward a Power-Reflexive Deconstruction of Deviance and Difference
Introduction / Theoretical Images
11. Critical Perspectives: Social Theory and Social Change
Introduction / Methods of Critical Theorizing / Critical Perspectives on Social Control / The Critical Perspective Today / Assessment of the Critical Perspective
Controlling Normal and Deviant Social Life / Theoretical Perspectives / How This Book Is Organized
2. The Demonic Perspective: Otherworldly Interpretations of Deviance
Introduction / Theoretical Images / Identifying Demonic Deviance / Social Control of Demonic Deviance / The Demonic Perspective Today / Assessment of the Demonic Perspective
3. The Classical Perspective: Deviance as Rational Hedonism
Introduction / Theoretical Images / Identifying Classical Deviance / Social Control of Classical Deviance / The Classical Perspective Today / Assessment of the Classical Perspective
4. The Pathological Perspective: Deviance as Sickness
Introduction / Theoretical Images / Social Control of Pathological Deviance / The Pathological Perspective Today / Assessment of the Pathological Perspective
5. The Social Disorganization Perspective: Rapid Change and Normative Breakdown in the Slums of Chicago
Introduction / Theoretical Images / Identifying Disorganizational Deviance / Social Control of Disorganizational Deviance / The Disorganizational Perspective Today / Assessment of the Disorganization Perspective
6. The Functionalist Perspective: Cybernetics, Negative Feedback, and the Benefits of Deviance
Introduction / Theoretical Images / Identifying Functional Deviance / Social Control of Functional Deviance / The Functionalist Perspective Today / Assessment of the Functionalist Perspective
7. The Anomie Perspective: Normlessness, Inequality, and Deviant Aspirations
Introduction / Theoretical Images / Identifying Anomic Deviance / Social Control of Anomic Deviance / The Anomie Perspective Today / Assessment of the Anomie Perspective
8. The Learning Perspective: Acquiring Deviance in Association with Others
Introduction / Theoretical Images / Identifying Learned Deviance / Social Control of Learned Deviance / The Learning Perspective Today / Assessment of the Learning Perspective
9. The Societal Reaction Perspective: Labeling and the Social Construction of Deviance
Introduction / Theoretical Images / Identifying Societal Reaction Deviance / Social Control of Societal Reactions to Deviance / The Societal Reaction Perspective Today / Assessment of the Societal Reaction Perspective
10. Critical Perspectives: Toward a Power-Reflexive Deconstruction of Deviance and Difference
Introduction / Theoretical Images
11. Critical Perspectives: Social Theory and Social Change
Introduction / Methods of Critical Theorizing / Critical Perspectives on Social Control / The Critical Perspective Today / Assessment of the Critical Perspective