Deviance Society

AY2025/2026 Semester 1

This course addresses the fundamental question of how any type of behavior can be treated as "deviant", "delinquent" or "criminal" within the context of a particular society. In examining theories of deviance - especially the social construction or labelling of deviance - the course considers the mechanisms of formal and informal control in a society and the strategies of resistance on the part of "deviant" groups. It also discusses basic concepts in criminology, varieties of crime (including corporate crime, organized crime, international crime and cybercrime) and systems of law enforcement and public surveillance.