One of the most groundbreaking sociology texts of the mid-20th century, Howard S. Becker’s Outsiders is a thorough exploration of social deviance and how it can be addressed in an understanding and helpful manner.

The papers in this volume, including two important and previously unpublished essays on sociological method, represent most of Howard Beckers work of the past twenty years that has not appeared in book form.

-- A researcher set free -- Introduction to the appendixes / Howard S. Becker -- Appendix A: a dialogue on the ideas of "world" and "field" / Howard S. Becker and Alain Pessin -- Appendix B: a tribute to Alain Pessin / Howard S. Becker -- ...

An examination of the moral and emotional problems at the root of bad writing.

With some sixty tables and illustrations, the book is a major experiment in analyzing and presenting qualitative data.

The book as a whole provides a distinguished and representative sampling of a major stream of contemporary sociological thought. Each of the five main divisions in the book covers one aspect of Hughes' work.