In this book Nicholas Emler and Stephen Reicher present a new explanation for delinquency by asking about the social dynamics of behavior and misbehavior. The central thesis argues that conduct is motivated by reputation: the problem is to explain why so many young people choose to pursue delinquent reputations.
The book begins with a critical look at psychology's traditional reaction to deviance, which has been to attribute it to flaws or deficits in the individual's psychological make-up. The authors go on to examine the major theoretical perspectives on delinquency in both psychology and sociology, relating them to their common roots in the "mass society" thesis of the nineteenth century. The fit between these theories and the facts is then explored in detail: none account successfully for the major features of delinquency. In the final section, the authors develop their own account of deliquency which suggests that the pursuit or avoidance of delinquent behavior is a choice of social identity and moral reputation.
