SEXUAL BEHAVIOR IS SITUATIONAL IN THAT IT OCCURS WITHIN A SOCIAL CONTEXT, AND IS THEREFORE SUBJECT TO COLLECTIVE INTERPRETATION AND CULTURAL MEANING. SEXUAL BEHAVIOR LABELED AS DEVIANT IS RELATIVE: THE SAME BEHAVIOR IN ONE SITUATION MAY BE CONSIDERED ROMANTIC EXPRESSION, WHILE IN ANOTHER, DEPRAVED AND EVEN ILLEGAL. IT SHOULD THEREFORE BE VIEWED WITHIN A FRAMEWORK OF SOCIAL MEANING AND IMPORT. TEN REPRESENTATIVE MODES OF SEXUAL DEVIANCE AND THEIR SOCIAL CONTEXT ARE ADDRESSED. THE DIFFERENT CONTEXTS CONSIDERED ARE: (1) SPURIOUS (THAT WHICH IS PERCEIVED, OR BELIEVED, BUT WHICH CANNOT BE DEMONSTRATED); (2) VICARIOUS (OBSERVATION OR FANTASY); (3) VERBAL (PORNOGRAPHY OR JUST 'DIRTY' LANGUAGE); (4) SYMBOLIC (NUDITY AND EXHIBITIONISM); (5) IMITATIVE (AUTOEROTISM AND MASSAGE PARLOR SERVICES); (6) COUNTERFEIT (HOMISEXUALITY); (7) SUPERFICIAL (CASUAL AND RECREATIONAL SEX); (8) SYMBIOTIC (BOTH MARRIAGE AND PROSTITUTION); (9) DISPARATE (STATUTORY RAPE, CHILD MOLESTING); AND (10) VIOLENT (RAPE). IN ADDITION, DEVIANCY IS DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: THAT BEHAVIOR WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY PRIVATE AND AFFECTIVE IN ORIENTATION, AND THAT WHICH IS COMMERCIAL AND ECONOMICALLY INSTRUMENTAL IN NATURE. WHILE THE PRIVATE PATTERN MAY BE FREQUENTLY VIEWED AS ABERRANT OR PATHOLOGICAL BEHAVIOR, THE COLLECTIVE MAY BE TACITLY ACCEPTED AND VIEWED AS FUNCTIONAL, IF NOT CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.