the "death" macguffin redux: comments on best

In commenting on my critique of the "deviance is dead" thesis ( Goode, 2003 ), Joel Best (in this issue) makes several points which seem shaky. Examined critically-and agreeing that the field has declined during the past 20 years in creativity and influence on sociology generally-the sociology of deviance is far from "dead." In fact, as indicated by a number of measures, its health is as robust as ever. Here, I grapple with the conundrum of why the "death" myth is so widely accepted among sociologists. It is possible that the field's political incorrectness may provide an explanation to this mystery.