David Matza (1930–2018) was an American sociologist and criminologist best known for his contributions to the sociology of deviance and juvenile delinquency. As a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, Matza developed influential theoretical concepts, including Drift Theory, which challenged deterministic explanations of criminal behavior. His work bridged structural and interactionist perspectives, emphasizing the fluidity of deviant and conforming roles.
Matza’s Delinquency and Drift (1964) introduced the concept that young offenders “drift” between conventional and deviant behavior, facilitated by techniques of neutralization. His collaboration with Gresham Sykes on Techniques of Neutralization became a cornerstone in deviance theory, explaining how offenders rationalize their actions. Matza’s later work, Becoming Deviant (1969), offered a critical view of societal labeling and the construction of deviance.
