The first chapter explains how the sociology of deviance is a collection of relatively independent versions of sociology rather than a single coherent subject area. It notes that the volume is intended to serve as an intellectual framework in which the various theories of deviance can be set and discussed. Each theory has its own history, tends to be supported by arguments that reach into philosophy and metaphysics, provides a number of distinct opportunities for explaining and manipulating deviant behaviors, and uses a distinctive language that resists comparisons with rival arguments. The text proceeds historically, beginning with the Chicago School of the 1920's. Subsequent chapters focus on functionalism, deviance, and control; anomie; culture and subculture; symbolic interactionism; phenomenology; control theories; radical criminology; and feminist criminology. The final chapters examine the implications of theories of deviance for social policy and discuss recent critical analyses of the sociology of deviance. The authors conclude that it is possible but premature to synthesize the diverse approaches into one master theory and that further research should emphasize a more sophisticated use of tested methods, plus a constant openness to developments in other subject areas. Footnotes, index, and approximately 1,000 references