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Life history: A vehicle toward a holistic understanding of deviance
Author(s) -
Koegel Paul
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.585
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1520-6629
pISSN - 0090-4392
DOI - 10.1002/1520-6629(198104)9:2<162::aid-jcop2290090209>3.0.co;2-6
Subject(s) - deviance (statistics) , psychology , personality , social psychology , developmental psychology , life history , social environment , sociology , social science , computer science , ecology , machine learning , biology
Biological, psychological, and sociological explanations have all been invoked in the attempt to understand deviant behavior. While these explanations have each suggested important etiological aspects of deviance, they have not, by themselves, been able to fully account for the complexity of deviant behavior. The life history method is offered as a vehicle through which these varied explanations can be integrated, and through which a comprehensive understanding of deviance can be reached. To illustrate the usefulness of life history data for this kind of enterprise, the life experiences of a woman labeled both mentally retarded and schizophrenic by the service delivery system are described. The interrelationships between constitutional factors, her personality as it developed within a family and community context, and the impact of the social institutions with which she interacted are examined to highlight the need for a holistic framework in which to consider various explanations of deviance concurrently.