Constructions of Deviance: Social Power, Context, and Interaction [Paperback]

Patricia A. Adler (Author), Peter Adler (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0495003727 | ISBN-13: 978-0495003724 | Publication Date: April 21, 2005 | Edition: 5

This text is the industry standard for publishing the most recent and relevant articles in the field of deviance, by demonstrating to students how the concepts and theories of deviance can be applied to the world around them. The authors include both theoretical analyses and ethnographic illustrations of how deviance is socially constructed, organized, and managed. The Adlers challenge the reader to see the diversity and pervasiveness of deviance in society by covering a wide variety of deviant acts represented throughout the text. Most importantly, the Adler and Adler present deviance as a component of society and examine the construction of deviance in terms of differential social power. The book takes an "interactionist" or "constructionist" perspective on deviance, looking at the processes in society that create deviance. The authors have selected studies that are ethnographic in character, focusing on the experiences of deviants, the deviant-making process, and the ways in which people labeled as deviant in society react to that label. Students enjoy the Adler's balanced selection of readings, as they are timely and engaging. In depth introduction, explanation of theory, and discussion questions after each reading help guide students through the material.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Patricia A. Adler (Ph.D., University of California, San Diego) is Professor of Sociology at the University of Colorado, Boulder. In 1999, she was named Outstanding Teacher in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and in 2005 she received the Outstanding Researcher Award for the Boulder campus. In 2004, Adler was awarded the Mentor Excellence Award from the Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction. She has written and taught in the areas of deviance, social psychology, sociology of gender, and the sociology of children. A second edition of her book, WHEELING AND DEALING (Columbia University Press), a study of upper-level drug traffickers, was published in 1993.

Peter Adler is Professor of Sociology at the University of Denver, where he served as chair from 1987 to 1993. His research interests include social psychology, qualitative methods, and the sociology of sport and leisure. Dr. Adler was honored with the University Lecturer Award (1997) and as the Outstanding Scholar/Teacher (2005) at the University of Denver, and in 2005 the Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction (SSSI) named him Feminist Mentor of the Year. Dr. Adler is past co-president of the Midwest Sociological Society, and he received his doctorate from the University of California, San Diego.

Product Details

• Paperback: 552 pages
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing; 5 edition (April 21, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0495003727
• ISBN-13: 978-0495003724
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #819,139 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)