The Relativity of Deviance

This engaging and informative book, by award-winning sociologist and criminologist John Curra, offers a valuable perspective on attitudes and behaviors labeled as deviant. The Relativity of Deviance, Fourth Edition, explores the meanings and constructions of social deviance and social reactions to it, he answers such questions as: What is deviance? What comprises deviant behavior? How are deviants treated? How is deviance socially constructed and socially sustained? Why is the same attitude, behavior, or condition praised in one situation and condemned in another? Through insightful and thought-provoking examples and informed accounts, the author illustrates that deviance cannot be explained or understood in terms of absolutes or essential characteristics nor can it be explained or understood apart from its social setting. This book approaches sex, violence, theft, drugs, suicide, rape, and mental disorders in a way that shows the critical role of sociocultural factors and social reactions in constructions of deviance and crime.

Table of Contents:
Preface Chapter 1: The Dynamic Nature of Deviance Kids, Crocodiles, and Social Control Relationships and Rule Breaking Sociological Relativity The Social Construction of Reality Theoretical Views: The Old and the Not-So-Old Relativity and Social Deviance Whose Side Are We On? Conclusions References Chapter 2: Being Deviant The Original Blue Man (and Woman) Group Being and Doing Deviance and Responsibility The Social Construction of Spoiled Identities Managing Stigma Conclusions References Chapter 3: Power, Social Networks, and Organizational Deviance Power Corrupts, and Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely The Carrier′s Case: Other People′s Belongings and the Crime of Theft White-Collar Crime and Elite Deviance The Relativity of Terrorism Privilege, Power, and Penalties Conclusions References Chapter 4: Mental Disorders Medicalization on 34th Street The Medicalization Process Manufacturing Madness The Myth of Mental Illness Mental Health Buccaneers and Social Control Sense and Nonsense in the Psychiatric Enterprise Meltdown in the DSM Conclusions References Chapter 5: Predatory Violence The Social Construction of Murder and Violence Arbitrary Meanings Patterned Violence Vocabularies of Motive and Interpersonal Accounts The Curious Case of Jack the Ripper Variable Violence Conclusions References Chapter 6: Sexual Violence Defining Rape The Symbolic Organization of Sexual Violence Rape and Social Conflict Rape Scenes Normalizing Sexual Violence The Rape of Males Conclusions References Chapter 7: Suicide Social Frames and Definitions of the Situation The Meanings of Suicide The Curious Case of Autoerotic Asphyxiation Sociocultural Variations in Suicide: Motive, Intent, and Interpretation Suicide, Stigma, and Responsibility Conclusions References Chapter 8: Sexual Diversity Sex, Gender, and Sexuality Sexuality: A Sociocultural Understanding The Curious Case of the Berdache Sexual Differentiation and Sexual Asymmetry The Myth of the Universal Turn-On Sexual Politics and the Transformation of Intimacy Deviantizing Sexual Matters Conclusions References Chapter 9: Drugs and Drug Taking The Social Reality of Drug Use Getting Stoned in the Animal Kingdom Addiction: Imprecise Definitions and Arbitrary Meanings The Social Dynamics of Human Drug-Taking Experiences Moral Entrepreneurs and Drug Crusades Conclusions References Index About the Author

About the Author :
John Curra (PhD, Purdue University) is a professor at Eastern Kentucky University where he has taught courses in introductory sociology, social deviance, criminology, sociological analysis, social problems, social psychology, juvenile delinquency, and criminological theory since 1975. He has taught. In 1981, he received the prestigious Excellence in Teaching Award from the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. In 2005–2007, he was selected as a Foundation Professor, one of the highest honors a professor can receive at Eastern Kentucky University. In 2012, Curra moved to the Department of Criminal Justice in the School of Justice Studies. That same year, he was awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award by the Department of Criminal Justice in the College of Justice and Safety. Curra has authored or co-authored several texts, an instructor’s manual, and a reader.