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Is deviance “Deadℍ? The decline of a sociological research specialization

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Abstract

Colin Sumner has declared that the sociology of deviance as a research specialty was “deadℍ by 1975; later influential studies on norm-violating behavior appeared only in the specific area of criminology. We subjected this argument to empirical test through an analysis of the most-cited scholars and works in 263 textbooks, articles, and research notes appearing in the sociology of deviance from 1993 to 1999. We found some support for Sumner's claims: The majority of the most-cited scholars in devi-ance today conduct research in other areas, primarily in criminology. Furthermore, among the 31 most-cited works in our analysis, only two of 15 studies classified in the sociology of deviance appeared after 1975. We conclude with some thoughts about the factors that contribute to the rise and fall of research specializations in sociology.

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  1. J. Mitchell Miller
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  2. Richard A. Wright
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  3. David Dannels
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We gratefully acknowledge the helpful comments that Lawrence T. Nichols and two anonymous reviewers offered on earlier drafts of this article.

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Miller, J.M., Wright, R.A. & Dannels, D. Is deviance “Deadℍ? The decline of a sociological research specialization. Am Soc 32, 43–59 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12108-001-1027-2

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