REVISITING STEBBINS: Labeling and Commitment to Deviance.

The article examines Robert Stebbins' "Commitment to Deviance: The Nonprofessional Criminal in the Community" wherein the most basic proposition of labeling theory is that sanctions against deviance can inadvertently contribute to continuity in deviant activity and careers. It also presents critique on Stebbins' view of commitment, presentation of the three-fold commitment framework and labeling and types of commitment to deviance. An understanding of continuity in lines of action is crucial for middle-range theories of deviant careers in general and labeling theory in particular. The author proposes that the answer lies in a clear and adequate conceptualization of commitment processes. The goal of this paper, accordingly, is to provide such a conceptualization. In pursuing this goal, the author discusses Stebbins' approach to labeling and commitment to deviance and contrasts it with other treatments of commitment.