This popular introduction explores the meaning of social deviance in contemporary society. It carefully traces the path by which we create deviance: how we single out some people's behavior, ideas, and appearances that differ from the "norm," label them as offensive or acceptable, and then condemn or celebrate them. The book explains what kinds of behavior are banned and who bans them, exposing the important political influences underlying these processes. This third edition includes case studies in every thematic chapter, ranging across issues such as marijuana legislation, sex work, cyber extortion, mental illness, and obesity. Of particular note in the new edition are two new chapters addressing the political dimensions of deviant behavior: labeling and stereotyping as methods of domination and control, and the growing intolerance of deviance in an age of global authoritarian populism and political tribalism.

At its core, Social Deviance looks at who becomes deviant and why. It delves into the multiple motives that cause rule-breakers to behave badly in the eyes of those they offend or creatively in the eyes of those they please, and it reveals the way deviants think about their actions, their moral identity, and their fellow moral outcasts.