Deviance, Charisma, and Rule-Defined Behavior

Problems in present perspectives on deviance are discussed, a remedy is offered, and some of its implications are elaborated. The major problem is the failure to distinguish between action and state of being, between recognition of rule-breaking act, and imputation of deviant ontological status. A complementary distinction, between extraordinarily superior performance in terms of rule-standards and charismatic ontological status, is required for the sociology of charisma. Action oriented to behavior as defined by rules is distinguished from action oriented to deviant and charismatic ontological statuses: the meaning of negative and positive essence is elaborated, and negative and positive sanctioning of behavior is separated from the structural placements of the deviant in isolation and the charismatic individual in transcendent position. These analytic distinctions separate different kinds of experience: being deviant and being charismatic are identities distinguished from role-identities; and the tensions unique to those seen as ontologically deviant and charismatic are described.