Stephen Lyng

Stephen Lyng is an American sociologist best known for his development of the concept of edgework, which explores voluntary risk-taking and the emotional thrills associated with transgressive behavior. He has held academic positions at multiple universities and has contributed significantly to the fields of cultural criminology, deviance, and the sociology of risk. Lyng’s work draws on interactionist and phenomenological traditions, emphasizing the experiential and performative dimensions of crime and high-risk activities.

Lyng introduced the concept of edgework in his influential 1990 article “Edgework: A Social Psychological Analysis of Voluntary Risk Taking.” The term refers to activities in which individuals navigate the boundary between order and chaos—such as extreme sports, crime, or other forms of risky behavior—not primarily for material gain, but for emotional intensity, control, and self-definition. Edgework builds on the work of Jack Katz, Erving Goffman, and symbolic interactionism, and it has become a cornerstone in cultural criminology. Lyng argues that deviance is not merely the result of structural pressures or rational calculation but often driven by the search for authenticity, agency, and emotional engagement in a risk-saturated society.