Deviance in late modern society: from ontological insecurity to culture of control

The article discusses the viability of the sociology of deviance. Over the last few decades, the claim that this research specialty is dead has become increasingly vocal. The proponents of this idea suggest that the study of norm-violation in today's relativistic and pluralistic world is archaic and counterproductive. The paper assesses this argument by examining how the deviance is generated and managed under the conditions of late modernity. In these purposes, the theory of criminologist Jock Young is outlined. He took the concept of ontological insecurity from sociologist Anthony Giddens (1990), while the latter in his turn took it from psychiatrist Ronald Laing (1960). Young concludes that ontological insecurity is one of the key topics for understanding the nature of deviance in postfordist societies. On the one hand, the feelings of insecurity generate the request for the creation of rigid lines of demarcation between social groups. Effective tool of such borders management is othering, i.e. actions by which a member of a group becomes classified as "not one of us". Othering is based on the process of essentialization, i.e. attributing essential, natural characteristics to members of specific culturally defined groups. In addition, insecurity contributes to the development of the culture of control, including privatization and decentralization of social control practices (the rising private security sector and the increasing number of gated communities are the signs of it). On the other hand, feelings of insecurity are the sources of the deviant activities, including crime. Considering this, Young explores the phenomenon of expressive deviant actions, or voluntary risk taking activities in terms of Stephen Lyng, the author of the edgework theory. Thereby, examining the relationship between deviance and insecurity, J. Young creates the link between Robert Merton's strain theory and constructivist labeling approach. The paper concludes that deviance is one of the core elements of late modern society.

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