The Emergence of Middle-Class Deviant Subcultures: The Case of Swingers

Abstract

This paper is an attempt to deal theoretically with the emergence of the “swinging” subculture among otherwise conventional middle Americans, and further to suggest the theoretical implications of the study of “swinging” for an understanding of deviant subcultures. Focusing on the interrelationship between: (l) the marginal status of individuals new to the middle class, (2) the “overdetermined” nature of the sexual experience in American society, and (3) the extent to which certain types of deviance constitute functional alternatives to acceptable behavior, the paper offers a possible explanation for the coexistence of deviant commitments and conventional life styles.