The Death and Resurrection of Deviance ─ Current Ideas and Research

Deviance has long been a cornerstone of sociological inquiry, so much so that commentators have determined that it is overused, under-defined and may have run its analytical course. It has become a contested category in the last few years, and some sociologists have proclaimed the 'death of deviance', noting that the abundance of introductory classes on the subject are not synonymous with a vibrant field of research. This comprehensive volume analyses the uses of the 'deviance' concept to show its possible utility in a variety of fields such as religion, education, and media narratives. Bringing together leading international scholars, it demonstrates the vitality of this area of inquiry and its continued relevance to the social sciences.

Michael Dellwing is a Social Sciences Assistant at Kassel University, Germany, where he teaches and researches deviance, sociology of law, sociology of psychiatry, ethnography and television studies. He is author of an introduction to ethnography and to the sociology of Erving Goffman.

Nathan W. Pino is Professor of Sociology at Texas State University, USA, where he conducts research on international policing and police reform, violence, and the attitudes and behaviours of college students. In addition to numerous academic journal articles, he is author of Rethinking Serial Murder, Spree Killing, and Atrocities: Beyond the Usual Distinctions (with Robert Shanafelt, forthcoming) and Globalization, Police Reform, and Development: Doing it the Western Way? (with Graham Ellison, Palgrave Macmillan).

Joseph A. Kotarba is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for Social Inquiry at Texas State University, USA. He is the recipient of the Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction's G.H. Mead Award for lifetime achievement. His most recent books are Baby Boomer Rock and Roll Fans (2013) and The Present and Future of Symbolic Interactionism (2012).