We will explore how our assumptions and theories about deviance are socially constructed. Students will be required to think critically about how notions of 'deviance' and 'normalcy' express class-based, gendered, racialised and heterosexist assumptions. We will explore how some definitions become hegemonic in some places and times, and are kept in place by social institutions such as the state, the media, and religious beliefs for the regulation and governance of 'deviant' groups. We will also explore how these definitions may come to be contested. Please note that regular attendance at both lectures and seminars is required to successfully complete this course.
Lectures compliment, rather than reiterate, the reading material provided in the reprotext package.
Unlike a text book, these readings were not written with the intention of forming a coherent unit. Lectures must therefore be relied upon to provide the necessary linkages between readings in the reprotext package. It is expected that students will have completed the week's readings prior to attending lectures and seminars. Please organize your time accordingly. All readings listed below are contained in the course reading package, unless otherwise indicated.