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The recent debates over the viability and utility of the sociology of deviance do an effective job of addressing past criticisms and highlighting the current problems with the field. There are, however, few solutions put forth. Revisiting the pragmatist roots in social theory is proposed to address both the ideological criticisms of the field as well as the seeming stagnation in theory and research. The utility of pragmatism in studying deviance is discussed and specific applications of pragmatism to the sociology of deviance are suggested.