Session 39

M3 Methods in Deviance Research

This session aims at discussing the possibilities, potentialities, challenges and approaches of doing research in deviance context when using a specific method. Deviance from the perspective of sociology is interested in varying behaviors ranging from; drug usage, violence, juvenile delinquency, alcohol usage and, bullying etc. In conducting such studies, researchers are required a thorough understanding of the life/ perspective of the perpetrator, while in some cases from individuals who fall victims of such behaviors, and these may yield a lot of challenges to the researcher. The session seeks for contributions that provides a closer look and the best measure of the phenomenon. We believe that the subject of deviance confronts researchers with a range of theoretical and methodological challenges, which can be addressed by various approaches.

This session aims at discussing the different problems of how deviance can be studied bearing in mind its complexity and specific context. Drawing examples from a specific research project or empirical research, we invite papers that address either of the following questions: (1) which approaches are best suitable for addressing the complexity in discourse analysis and its large variations? / Which methods are suitable for studying deviance in its various forms? (2) What challenges and difficulties are encountered? (3) Which data analysis tools are relevant and why? (4) Which aspects of research ethics have to be considered? In order to enrich this discourse, papers that debate general methodological challenges are also welcome.