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Home » Glossary » Resistance

Resistance

Acts or strategies aimed at challenging, undermining, or opposing power, authority, or oppression.

Explanation

In sociology and criminology, resistance refers to both individual and collective actions taken against dominant norms, institutions, or systems of control. Resistance can be overt (e.g., protests, civil disobedience) or covert (e.g., subcultural deviance, noncompliance). It plays a key role in understanding how marginalized groups respond to oppression and how social change occurs.

Theoretical Reference

Relevant in Critical Theory, Cultural Criminology, and Postcolonial Studies, resistance is often framed as a form of agency within unequal power relations.

Related Terms

  • Subculture

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