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primary and secondary deviance

A Dictionary of Sociology | 1998 | 432 words | Copyright

primary and secondary deviance Introduced by Edwin Lemert in his Social Pathology (1951), the distinction is central to labelling theory. Primary deviance refers to differentiation which is relatively insignificant, marginal, and fleeting; secondary deviance is pivotal, central, and engulfing. The mechanism by which marginal deviance and casual rule-breaking becomes more central depends upon labelling or the societal reaction.

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GORDON MARSHALL. "primary and secondary deviance." A Dictionary of Sociology. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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