Contextualizing deviance within social change and stability, morality, and power

The paper analyses the professional and political challenges facing the sociological study of deviance. Drawing on the sociological formulations of Emile Durkheim, and using a number of empirical demonstrations, the paper suggests that the study and interpretation of non-conformist and deviant behavior be repackaged and reframed within social processes of change and stability. To do that, it is recommended to use the constructivist approach, emphasizing the concepts of symbolic-moral universes and power.