The Politics of Deviance

by Anne Hendershott

Arguing against the grain of her own discipline, Anne Hendershott asserts the value and strength of the most important of all determinants of behavior--social norms and the commitment to accept them. The Politics of Deviance maintains that definitions of deviance that rely upon reason, and not emotion or political advocacy, are indispensable to the process of generating and sustaining cultural values and reaffirming the moral ties that bind us together.

Genres: Social Issues

184 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2002

Reviews

[Pilar · Rating 3 out of 5]

In reality, ''The Politics of Being Catholic and Over Fifty.'

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good book, although it doesn't go far enough.

The not far enough part: the book cuts the promotion of degeneracy off from what provides the impetus and support for it.

I remember the old lie of "they're vocal minorities who don't speak for true [group members], so don't worry!" This should be funny to readers of this review, since we're all vocal minorities, but nobody hears us. Why is it when some "fringe people who only speak for themselves" speak, they're given the support of: billion dollar companies, "philanthropists", "NGOs" and every level of the criminal justice system as well as the universities? Because they're part of the show. It's wholly authorized.

Just look who benefits. In some chapters, we see people pushed towards regularly receiving expensive tests bought with taxpayer money. In other chapters we see people receiving commands to live lives that lend themselves to time preferences that support squandering your money on frivolities and not accumulating assets. In others, we see the system's endorsement of suicide to strip people from the system who don't comport with neoliberalism. All of these "chance occurrences" just so happen to all go in the same direction. That's not random at all. These are attacks, which are features of missions, which come together under a campaign. It's a deliberate program to morally undermine the victims of it.

Why it's good: this book puts everything together in one place, and it isn't an explicitly political and hysterical book.

Also: I found out about this from Tom Woods, when he did an interview with the author.

[Alyssa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave this a two and a half star rating because it was an easy and interesting read, NOT for her beliefs. but her sources are not what i would deem as reliable, and, personally, i think the woman is wacky. she has an entire chapter where she argues that date rape doesn't exist. which, for me, pretty much invalidates any other arguments she makes throughout the book, regardless of if she may have a point.