‘We’re All Sinners Here’: A Microhistorical Exploration of the Deviance-Identification Nexus

Abstract

Extant research shows that deviance as a departure from established norms is influential to innovation and change. However, challenging the embedded assumptions and practices renders deviance subject to heavy stigmatization, compelling the identification of deviance to ensure that deviance can be balanced or controlled for the good of the organization. Yet, this focus often ignores the dynamics between the deviants and their audiences, which also impacts the spread of deviance, since deviance is best understood through actions as well as responses. Because deviance is likely to provoke deep introspection, identification with deviance is an essential, yet underexplored aspect of its spread. This article takes a micro-historical approach to analyze Dogme95, a highly controversial filmmaking movement, where identification with deviance influenced its spread. It elucidates symbolic disruption, straddling identification, and limiting the duration as three stages through which deviance can spread in and around organizations through identification. The article thus contributes to the extant literature by reconciling some theoretical contradictions regarding the spread of deviance despite its negative connotations and provides a novel perspective on the deviance-identification nexus.