The Deviance Society

Inside the hidden world of deviance.

by Patricia Adler, Ph.D. and Peter Adler, Ph.D.

Quitting Self-Injury

Self-Injury is sometimes viewed as addictive, but sociological research shows that people can and do quit for reasons and at points in their self-injury careers that follow predictable patterns. Read More

The Control Society

Why is Big Brother promoting a campaign of fear against pleasure? Read More

How Has the Internet Affected Self-Injury?

People want to know what’s going on in secret cyber communities of self-injury and what effects these have! Does Internet addiction increase teen self-harming? Read More

What's in a Name?

Big Brother is telling you what you can and can’t name your Baby. Is this saving children from their parents’ insanity or depriving them of potentially great futures? Read More

Do Men Self-Injure?

Is self-injury a “female disease?” Do men do it, and, if so, how is it different for them? Read More

Why Can’t We Handle the Human Form?

What happened to my Speedo? My kids would die of embarrassment if I wore one! Read More

The Social Transformation of Self-Injury

What’s happened to self-injury? Everyone’s doing it! Has it become a silent epidemic? What does it mean? Read More

Ghett-o’ this Airplane!

Nowadays there’s a lot fewer jokes about flying and we’re all eyeing fellow passengers looking for the next shoe bomber. But have you noticed that our standards for defining deviance in looks and actions may display a not-so subtle form of institutionalized racism? Read More

Deviance Is Alive and Well

Deviance is alive and well and the Doctors of Deviance are here to tell you why Read More

Patti Adler, Ph.D., is Professor of Sociology at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Peter Adler, Ph.D., is Professor of Sociology at the University of Denver.

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