Sociology Plus
National Deviancy Conference Definition
The National Deviancy Conference (NDC) was a group of British sociologists prominent in the late 1960s and 1970s who sought to reconstitute traditional criminology and the sociology of deviance. They challenged established orthodoxies by shifting focus away from purely criminal behaviour towards examining the personal accounts of deviants and the political dimensions inherent in crime and criminality. This movement developed radical alternatives to conventional conceptions of deviance, influenced by the increasing reality of violence and crime in Britain during the 1980s, leading theorists to adopt more realist approaches to understanding law and order.
Aims and Themes
The founders of the NDC, including Cohen (1981), outlined four central aims for their work: emphasising the sociological dimension of criminology to integrate it within mainstream sociological interests; extending the insights derived from labelling theory and societal reaction theory in a more structurally and politically aware manner; foregrounding the importance of the deviants’ own understandings and meanings; and recognising the political character involved both in defining and studying crime and deviance.
Theoretical Influence
The NDC served as an important vehicle for developing novel approaches to deviancy, sometimes referred to as radical deviancy theory. Its emphasis on critical and political issues laid foundational groundwork for subsequent fields such as critical criminology, victimology studies, and radical approaches within social work theory and practice.
Legacy and Status
Although the conference fragmented as external political realities shifted and internal theoretical divergences emerged, its influence remains evident in the broader development of sociology. The NDC significantly contributed to increasing the status of criminological and deviancy issues within sociological discourse.