Deviance as Performance: The Case of Illness

This theoretical bias of the labeling approach has helped form a more purely sociological analysis of deviance and social control. Neglect of the deviant, however, while possibly justified operationally, creates large gaps in the study of deviance. Using as data the social labels only and omitting the activity, intentions, or self-view of the individual deviant make it impossible to distinguish between the falsely accused and the true deviant, and between the truly innocent and the hidden deviant. The argument of the situational theorists would be that the