This book sensitizes the reader to the fact that there is substantial disagreement within the academic community, and among policymakers and the general public, over what behaviors, conditions (e.g., physical attributes), and people should be designated as deviant or criminal. Normative conceptions, the societal reaction/labeling approach, and the critical approach are offered as frameworks within which to study these definitions. A comprehensive explanation of theory and social policy on deviance is constructed.

Walter DeKeseredy, Desmond Ellis, Shahid Alvi

1. Definitions of Deviance and Crime 2. Theoretical Perspectives on Deviance and Crime 3. Woman Abuse 4. Homicide 5. Corporate Crime 6. Drug Use and Abuse 7. Gangs 8. Theory and Social Policy