Creating Deviance: An Interactionist Approach

Creating Deviance is a basic text introductory text for deviance studies. Dotter identifies the convergences between social deviance, the interactionist tradition, and the construction of cultural meaning. He provides an in-depth analysis of the significant theoretical contribution of interactionism to the study of deviant behavior and crime, examining the works of George Herbert Mead, Herbert Blumer, Howard S. Becker, Edwin Shur, and Norman Denzin, among others. Dotter applies this framework to a number of specific scenarios, such as the persistence of gender inequality, the formation of youth subcultures, the contemporary politicization of race in the criminal justice system, and media generated, public representations of stigmatization. His text will be a valuable resource in any introductory course to the study of deviance and crime, the sociology of deviance and social control, and introductory criminology courses.

Creating Deviance is a basic text introducing deviance from an interactionist perspective, placing the study of deviant behavior within the broader terrain of cultural meaning. By examining the persistence of gender inequality, the formation of youth subcultures, and other issues Dotter provides a valuable resource for the study of deviance and crime and for introductory courses in sociology on deviance and social control.

Daniel Dotter is Professor of Criminal Justice at Grambling State University, Louisiana. He received his Ph.D. from Virginia Polytechnic Institute, and does research in social deviance, youth subculture, and mass media and crime.