IT IS POINTED OUT THAT CONSENSUS THEORISTS VIEW DEVIANCE DESIGNATION AS GROWING OUT OF THE SHARED VALUES OF A POPULACE WITHOUT PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO SOCIAL OR ECONOMIC CLASS, WHILE CONFLICT THEORISTS SEE DEVIANCE DESIGNATION AS THE COERCIVE CONTROL BY THE DOMINANT GROUP IN A SOCIETY OF THE BEHAVIOR OF THOSE THEY WISH TO SERVE THEM. IT IS ARGUED THAT NEITHER OF THESE THEORIES CAN HOLD UP IN ITS ENTIRETY UNDER SCIENTIFIC TESTING. USING DATA FROM THE 1972 NATIONAL OPINION RESEARCH CENTER'S SURVEY OF A SAMPLE OF THE TOTAL NONINSTITUTIONALIZED POPULATION OF THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES, 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER, WHICH INCLUDED A MEASURE OF ATTITUDES TOWARD CERTAIN TYPES OF DEVIANCE, THREE HYPOTHESES ARE TESTED: (1) DOMINANT STATUS GROUPS ARE MORE LIKELY THAN SUBORDINATE STATUS GROUPS TO DISAPPROVE OF CONSENSUS CRIMES; (2) DOMINANT STATUS GROUPS ARE MORE LIKELY THAN SUBORDINATE STATUS GROUPS TO APPROVE OF CONFLICT CRIMES; (3) ATTITUDES TOWARD CONFLICT CRIMES ARE A PART OF THE STATUS CULTURE THAT ENHANCE OR INHIBIT THE ECONOMIC ADVANCEMENT OF INDIVIDUALS. SIX STATUS GROUP CLEAVAGES ARE CONSIDERED IN THE ANALYSIS: REGION, RELIGION, OCCUPATIONAL STATUS, INCOME, SIZE OF COMMUNITY, AND EDUCATION. TO EXPLORE THE HYPOTHESES, TWO TYPES OF DEVIANCE ARE CONSIDERED: ASSAULT AND HOMOSEXUALITY. THE NATURE OF ANY CONFLICT OR CONSENSUS CONCERNING THESE BEHAVIOR PATTERNS IS ANALYZED ACCORDING TO GROUP CLEAVAGE. THE HYPOTHESES ARE PROVEN CORRECT IN THAT ASSAULT AS A CONSENSUS CRIME HAD STRONGER DISAPPROVAL IN DOMINANT GROUPS, WHILE THE MORE TOLERANT STANCE TOWARD HOMOSEXUALITY WAS FOUND AMONG THE MORE EDUCATED, HIGHER INCOME GROUP. A SHIFT FROM REGARDING ATTITUDES TOWARD DEVIANCE AS AN INSTRUMENT OF COERCION IS URGED, IN ORDER TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT STATUS PERSPECTIVES OF DEVIANCE THAT ADVANCE THE NOTABLE VALUES OF THE DOMINANT GROUP. THE PROPOSED THEORY ACCORDS THESE ATTITUDES WIDER SIGNIFICANCE IN THE COMBINED PROCESSES OF DEVIANCE DEFINITION, STATUS ALLOCATION, AND THE COOPTIVE MAINTENANCE OF POLITICAL AUTHORITY. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--RCB)