Erich Goode
Encyclopedia
Erich Goode is an American
sociologist. Goode specializes in the sociology of deviance. He has written a number of books on the field of deviance in general, as well as on specific deviant topics.
Erich Goode received a B.A. from Oberlin College
(1960) and a Ph.D. in sociology
from Columbia University
(1966). He has taught at Columbia University, New York University
, Florida Atlantic University
, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
, and Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel. He is currently employed as a professor at the State University of New York at Stony Brook
. Prof. Goode now teaches at the University of Maryland.
Goode takes a constructionist approach to deviance. In his view, a behavior is deviant if and only if society at large considers it so. The broader social factors that go into the classification of a behavior as deviant are thus considered a valid subject of study. His research focuses on the deviant individuals (and behaviors) themselves, as well as the particular individuals and groups that play a part in classifying the behavior as deviant.
As a sociologist, Goode makes no judgment about whether a particular is "bad" or "evil", and considers deviance as a topic to be entirely dependent on whether the society at large considers the behavior deviant. In this view, a particular behavior can be deviant in one society, but normal in another. This is in contrast to the perspective of essentialism
, which would say that a behavior either "really is" deviant or "really isn't", and that it is the task of the sociologist to discover and report on the truth of the matter, and what society at large believes is mostly irrelevant.
According to the constructionist framework as espoused by Goode, an instance of "deviance" can exist as a social construct exclusively, completely separate from any actual behavior. In other words, "imaginary deviance" can exist that causes a frenzy of interesting sociological behavior in response to a non-existence phenomenon. Satanic ritual abuse
is an example of this in modern times, and the case of witch hunts is an example from antiquity. These are often called moral panic
s, and Goode considers them a valid subject (perhaps the ideal subject) for deviance studies.
Erich Goode is known for his exploration and exposure of the "moral panic" concept. He takes a "harm reductionist" approach to studying social deviance. This commitment aims to reduce social harm without engaging in value judgments or essentialist claims about those being studied.
1. Legal instrumental use - Taking prescribed drugs and over the counter drugs to relieve or treat symptoms.
2. Legal recreational use - Using legal (tobacco, alcohol, caffeine) drugs to achieve a certain mental state.
3. Illegal instrumental use - Taking non prescription drugs to accomplish a task or goal.
4.Illegal recreational use - Taking illegal drugs for fun or pleasure to experience euphoria.
In Drugs in American Society, Goode argued that the effect of a drug is dependent on the societal context in which it is taken. Thus, in one society (or social context) a particular drug may be a depressant, and in another it may be a stimulant.
Deviant Behavior is a textbook intended for undergrad students. In it, Goode takes the position of a weak constructionist.
Moral Panics: The Social Construction of Deviance, written with Nachman Ben-Yehuda, is a book about moral panics, from a sociological perspective.
In Paranormal Beliefs: A Sociological Introduction, Goode studies paranormal beliefs such as UFOs, Extra-sensory perception
, and Creationism
using the methods of the sociology of deviance. Consistent in tone with the rest of his works, he takes the position that whether the phenomena in question is real is not important to sociologist. Rather, sociologists should be concerned with how the paranormalist is labeled as deviant, and what effect the label has on them and society.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sociologist. Goode specializes in the sociology of deviance. He has written a number of books on the field of deviance in general, as well as on specific deviant topics.
Erich Goode received a B.A. from Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
(1960) and a Ph.D. in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
(1966). He has taught at Columbia University, New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University, also referred to as FAU or Florida Atlantic, is a public, coeducational, research university located in , United States. The university has six satellite campuses located in the Florida cities of Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, Port St. Lucie, and in Fort...
, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
, and Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel. He is currently employed as a professor at the State University of New York at Stony Brook
State University of New York at Stony Brook
The State University of New York at Stony Brook, also known as Stony Brook University, is a public research university located in Stony Brook, New York, on the North Shore of Long Island, about east of Manhattan....
. Prof. Goode now teaches at the University of Maryland.
Goode takes a constructionist approach to deviance. In his view, a behavior is deviant if and only if society at large considers it so. The broader social factors that go into the classification of a behavior as deviant are thus considered a valid subject of study. His research focuses on the deviant individuals (and behaviors) themselves, as well as the particular individuals and groups that play a part in classifying the behavior as deviant.
As a sociologist, Goode makes no judgment about whether a particular is "bad" or "evil", and considers deviance as a topic to be entirely dependent on whether the society at large considers the behavior deviant. In this view, a particular behavior can be deviant in one society, but normal in another. This is in contrast to the perspective of essentialism
Essentialism
In philosophy, essentialism is the view that, for any specific kind of entity, there is a set of characteristics or properties all of which any entity of that kind must possess. Therefore all things can be precisely defined or described...
, which would say that a behavior either "really is" deviant or "really isn't", and that it is the task of the sociologist to discover and report on the truth of the matter, and what society at large believes is mostly irrelevant.
According to the constructionist framework as espoused by Goode, an instance of "deviance" can exist as a social construct exclusively, completely separate from any actual behavior. In other words, "imaginary deviance" can exist that causes a frenzy of interesting sociological behavior in response to a non-existence phenomenon. Satanic ritual abuse
Satanic ritual abuse
Satanic ritual abuse refers to the abuse of a person or animal in a ritual setting or manner...
is an example of this in modern times, and the case of witch hunts is an example from antiquity. These are often called moral panic
Moral panic
A moral panic is the intensity of feeling expressed in a population about an issue that appears to threaten the social order. According to Stanley Cohen, author of Folk Devils and Moral Panics and credited creator of the term, a moral panic occurs when "[a] condition, episode, person or group of...
s, and Goode considers them a valid subject (perhaps the ideal subject) for deviance studies.
Erich Goode is known for his exploration and exposure of the "moral panic" concept. He takes a "harm reductionist" approach to studying social deviance. This commitment aims to reduce social harm without engaging in value judgments or essentialist claims about those being studied.
Goode's Four Types of Drug Use
2. Legal recreational use - Using legal (tobacco, alcohol, caffeine) drugs to achieve a certain mental state.
3. Illegal instrumental use - Taking non prescription drugs to accomplish a task or goal.
4.Illegal recreational use - Taking illegal drugs for fun or pleasure to experience euphoria.
Books
In The Marijuana Smokers http://www.druglibrary.org/special/goode/mjsmokers.htm, Goode looked at marijuana through a sociological lens.In Drugs in American Society, Goode argued that the effect of a drug is dependent on the societal context in which it is taken. Thus, in one society (or social context) a particular drug may be a depressant, and in another it may be a stimulant.
Deviant Behavior is a textbook intended for undergrad students. In it, Goode takes the position of a weak constructionist.
Moral Panics: The Social Construction of Deviance, written with Nachman Ben-Yehuda, is a book about moral panics, from a sociological perspective.
In Paranormal Beliefs: A Sociological Introduction, Goode studies paranormal beliefs such as UFOs, Extra-sensory perception
Extra-sensory perception
Extrasensory perception involves reception of information not gained through the recognized physical senses but sensed with the mind. The term was coined by Frederic Myers, and adopted by Duke University psychologist J. B. Rhine to denote psychic abilities such as telepathy, clairaudience, and...
, and Creationism
Creationism
Creationism is the religious beliefthat humanity, life, the Earth, and the universe are the creation of a supernatural being, most often referring to the Abrahamic god. As science developed from the 18th century onwards, various views developed which aimed to reconcile science with the Genesis...
using the methods of the sociology of deviance. Consistent in tone with the rest of his works, he takes the position that whether the phenomena in question is real is not important to sociologist. Rather, sociologists should be concerned with how the paranormalist is labeled as deviant, and what effect the label has on them and society.