Social Deviance

The topic of social deviance is inherently intriguing. People in general, and college students in particular, find the topic of deviant behavior fascinating. This can be explained, at least in part, by a combination of the subject matter itself, our own past deviant behaviors, and our willingness and desire to evaluate and comment on the behaviors of others. While the topic of deviant behavior seems straightforward at the surface, the study of social deviance reveals how complicated it really is. Although Social Deviance utilizes a textbook-style approach in its coverage of deviant behavior, this comprehensive, straightforward, and student-friendly book maintains student interest because of the author's use of real life phenomena and current examples. Each chapter includes chapter objectives, an introductory story, a glossary of key terms, discussion questions, and boxed material. The boxed materials include "A Closer Look" box that zooms in on topics that warrant deeper explanation; and a "Connecting Social Deviance and Popular Culture" box that shows how contemporary forms of popular culture illustrate deviant behavior.

About the Author

Tim Delaney is a professor and department chair of sociology at the State University of New York at Oswego. He earned his BS in sociology from SUNY Brockport, MA degree in sociology from California State University Dominquez Hills, and a PhD in sociology from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. Delaney has published seventeen books to date and numerous book chapters, journal and encyclopedia articles and has been published in five continents. Among his book publications are, Classical and Contemporary Social Theory: Investigation and Application (2014), American Street Gangs, 2nd edition (2014) and Beyond Sustainability: A Thriving Environment (2014, co-authored with Tim Madigan). Professor Delaney is listed as a "media expert" and regularly grants interviews with newspapers, radio and television news programs primarily across the United States and Canada.