Kai Erikson · 2018 · Theoretical essay · n=?

Notes on The Sociology of Deviance

Cited 8 times in the scientific literature.

Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data

Theoretical essay and historical framework sketch; Level 5 by design analogy, not clinical CEBM.

OpenAlex W4239565117 · doi:10.4324/9780203793343-3 · record verified 2026-08-31

What was done

This publication is a reprint of a 1962 theoretical essay outlining the conceptual framework applied in a historical sociological study of deviance among 17th-century Massachusetts Bay Puritans.

What was found

The abstract reports no empirical measurements, quantitative data, or statistical findings. It outlines theoretical concepts concerning the social processes by which communities screen behavior and define deviance.

Why it matters

The work provides foundational conceptual perspectives in the sociology of deviance, framing deviance as a social construct used to define communal boundaries.

Limits

The record contains no primary experimental or quantitative data, statistical analyses, or formal empirical testing. Details are limited to a theoretical sketch.

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